Synergy
by Leonard 356
Summary: An AU meeting. Richard Rodgers is a homicide detective raising a daughter who is assigned a young Kate Beckett as his partner. They both have their share of secrets. COMPLETE - For Now
1. Chapter 1

_**AN:**_ _This is a story that I've worked on while writing others over the last three years. It's AU from the very start, although you will see most of the canon characters in it and some of the cases. I've adjusted things to suit the plot of the story including the ages of both Castle and Beckett. Not a lot, but enough to make a difference._

 _As usual, any recognizable characters belong to Andrew Marlowe and ABC. All others are figments of my imagination._

 **One:**

 _ **January 9, 1999 -**_

Rick Rodgers, along with his partner Marty Winters pulled up to the crime scene in the cruiser Rick was driving. As the junior detective, Rick got the 'privilege' of driving the car and buying the coffee, and picking up their bar tab... Rick really didn't mind. As far as partners went, he could have done a lot worse and at least Winters would do his fair share of the paperwork. Marty was two years away from getting his twenty and an early retirement... Or at least that's what he talked about every day.

They definitely were an odd couple as they walked side by side to where the other detectives were congregating. While Rick was tall and athletic, Marty was short and nearly as big around as he was tall. Rick and Marty were working homicide out of the 12th precinct and had been called to assist on a case that the 15th had picked up. The two detectives approached the lead detective assigned to the case, John Raglan. Rick knew Raglan by reputation only, which wasn't very good. Raglan, along with his partner Gary McCallister were rumored to be dirty. Stories persisted of the two of them involved in bribery and extortion for years.

"What have we got here Rags?" Marty speaks to John by the nickname they gave him when they were in the academy together.

Raglan looks back at Marty and Rick smiling. "Well if it isn't doughboy and house seats... You two lose a bet or something?"

'House Seats' was a nickname Rick earned as a rookie when the other recruits learned that his mother was the actress Martha Rodgers. 'Doughboy' on the other hand was a nickname that Marty had grown into over the years.

"So what have we got?" Marty asks, this time without his customary smile.

"Vic is a white female, 49. COD appears to be multiple stab wounds... Wallet and purse were left at the scene, so robbery wasn't the motive. We should know more once the coroner completes his autopsy of the Vic, but right now it looks like some gang banger making his bones and she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. "

Rick looks around the crime scene and shakes his head. Something about this just doesn't make sense. "What's a middle aged white woman doing on the streets of Washington Heights at this time of night?" Rick inquires earning a glaring look from McCallister.

"That's why they pay you the big bucks detective. Why don't you two go and canvas the neighbors to see if they saw anything..." McCallister comments as gestures to Rick.

"Eye eye sir." Marty replies as he gives McCallister a mock salute, which earns a single finger from the detective.

It was a typical cold January night and as Marty predicted, a canvas of the neighborhood revealed absolutely nothing. The two men returned to the 12th precinct as their shift ends and finished their reports.

They never learned the name of the victim.

X-X-X-X.

Over the next year, Rick and Marty worked together on several high profile cases that earned the two of them commendations from their captain, James Burton. Rodgers liked working for the captain. He was tough but fair, equally adept at giving a pat on the back as he was a kick in the ass. Rumors were rampant that Burton was on the short list for a big promotion at 1PP.

While Marty was in the countdown phase of his career, Rick took and passed the sergeant's exam. While Rodgers still indulged his hobby by writing every night, he had accepted the fact that being a writer was nothing more than the fantasy of a young man. He was 29 years old and had been with the NYPD for six years, the last four as a detective. Outside of his job and his writing, the only other thing that he cared for was his five, going on fifteen year old daughter, Alexis.

He had met her mother not long after he was left in Grand Central Station by his college sweetheart Kyra Blane. They had been inseparable all through school and Rick had planned on proposing before starting Graduate school that fall. Kyra's mother never thought that Rick was good enough for her daughter and went out of her way to force her daughter to breakup with him. Kyra finally gave in to her mother's pressure, deciding that a summer in Europe to clear her head before she started graduate school herself was a good idea. While Kyra assured Rick that she was only leaving to clear her mind about her future, he knew that this was the end between them.

Rick was still hurting from Kyra's rejection when he first met Meredith, Alexis' mother at a party his mother had thrown for her summer theater group. Meredith was a struggling actress at the time serving as an understudy for one of the leads in the cast. She was immediately drawn to the handsome son of the woman she saw as a mentor at the time. Two weeks later, Meredith moves into the small apartment that Rick had shared with Kyra.

The start of the fall semester was a week away when Meredith learns that she is pregnant. While she wasn't sure if she should even tell Rick, he was thrilled at the thought of becoming a father. He immediately puts his dream of being an English professor on hold and enrolls at the police academy. While Rick assumed that they would marry and raise their child together, Meredith wasn't sure that she wanted to be tied down in spite of being pregnant. He didn't love Meredith like he did Kyra, but thought that he would 'learn' to over time and proposed.

Meredith rejected his proposal, saying that she wasn't ready for marriage, despite being pregnant.

Rick completed his training and was a rookie patrolman when Alexis was born. He was sure that the first time he held his daughter in his arms was the happiest moment in his life. For a brief period after her birth, Rick thought that Meredith was satisfied being with him and raising their daughter together. But that period ended nearly as quickly as it began. A friend of hers called when Alexis was six months old telling Meredith of a reoccurring role on a television series that she would be perfect for.

Using what little savings that he had managed to scrape together, Meredith flew to the coast in search of the job her friend had promised, leaving Rick with his young daughter. Her one week trip grew to two and then to four with no job and no indication that Meredith ever planned on returning to New York. The time away from Meredith made him realize that the two of them would have probably parted as soon as he returned to school if it wasn't for her pregnancy. But Alexis was his and he would do anything to keep her and if that meant staying with Meredith, then he would do it.

But Meredith had other ideas. Two months after she left for LA, she calls Rick to tell him that she's landed a role on a new series and would be moving to Los Angeles permanently. She never mentions Alexis, so he assumes that she is leaving her with him. As they never married, there was nothing to debate and Rick accepts her decision without any complaints. During the next year and a half, Rick had established a network of sitters and his mother that took care of Alexis while he worked. It was a struggle, but Rick never complained.

His promotion to detective coincided with Meredith's return from Los Angeles. She decided that after being away from Alexis for more than eighteen months, that she wanted to be a mother again. Rick tries to talk her out of taking his daughter 3,000 miles away from him, but knew that the courts would almost always rule in favor of the mother as they had never married. Rick was heartbroken as he kissed his crying daughter goodbye at the airport.

Luckily, his angst was short lived as two weeks after her departure, he receives a call from Meredith telling him to come and get the kid as she wouldn't stop crying for her daddy. Borrowing the money from his mother, Rick was on the first flight to LA he could get. Every extra dollar that he had earned was spent on obtaining a good lawyer that would give him legal custody of Alexis to prevent a repeat performance by Meredith. It took a year and a lawyer that would accept payments, but a judge finally granted full legal custody to Richard.

The last three years have been spent in a routine with his time spent either with his daughter or on the job. Rick would write about cases he was working in the evening after he put his daughter to bed. It served two purposes - it helped hone his writing skills and it allowed him to look at a case from different perspectives. It had even helped him discover new leads which in turn helped catch a few killers that may have gotten off otherwise. His entire social life consisted of an occasional celebration drink with his partner in one of the cop bars near the precinct. He had no time for dating.

That was another reason why he liked Captain Burton. The captain was keenly aware of Rick's situation with Alexis and would allow him certain liberties with his work hours to support the demands of raising a small child alone. That didn't mean that Rick got preferential treatment. In fact, Rick put in more hours than nearly any of the other detectives as his way of thanking his boss.

 _ **April, 2002:**_

Scuttlebutt within the precinct indicated that the long rumored promotion for their captain was about to become a reality. Speculation began as to whom the new captain would be. The leading candidate of the scuttlebutt was lieutenant Roy Montgomery in the 17th precinct. He had taken and passed the captain's exam a few months ago and was waiting for an opening. Montgomery had a reputation as being a good and fair boss.

It was a snowy Friday in early April when Burton made the announcement that he had been offered one of the deputy commissioners jobs at 1PP. He was to start his new job in a week or two. Everyone there congratulated their boss and wished him well in his new job. Burton was that rare individual that even if you didn't like him, you still respected him. In a job where it was easy to get lost in the grey, he saw everything as either black or white. Rodgers could only hope that one day he could be like him as a leader.

As soon as the group dispersed, plans for his send-off party commenced. That and speculation as to whom would be his replacement. They were looking for a venue to hold the Captain's send off that wasn't a cop bar. Rick was the one who suggested the Olde Haunt. Burton would never suspect a place like that and Rick still had fond memories of the place where he wrote his first novel on yellow legal pads. Everyone liked the idea and the planning started. Rick agreed to meet with the owner to secure the bar for the evening.

Rick, along with a couple of the uni's from the precinct, snuck out of work early on the day of the party to decorate the bar. Everything went according to plan and the party went off without a hitch. Burton decided to invite Montgomery and make the introduction of his replacement in an informal setting before the official one on Monday. The soon to be former captain knew all about the send off as he had his sources and told Montgomery to invite people from his precinct also.

Rodgers had talked his mother into watching Alexis for the evening. He promised to be back early enough for her to meet with some of her friends for a late dinner after their evening performance. Rick arrived a few minutes later than he planned to and found the bar packed with people. It was obvious that the Captain was well liked by his peers and everyone was having a good time. Rick, along with a few of his fellow detectives asked for silence as they presented him with a going away gift followed by more than a few gag gifts.

Burton thanked everyone for attending and then introduced Roy Montgomery. Roy was gracious and complimentary to Burton while promising to try to uphold the high standard of his predecessor. One of his subordinates from the 17th then began to present a similar going away speech to Montgomery as he gestured to his fellow officers in the room.

Rick scanned the room himself. Some of the faces he recognized, but the majority he did not. He was fending off the advances of one of the female uniform officers from his precinct when he saw her standing in the corner nursing a beer. Despite her attempts to blend into the background, she was impossible not to notice. Standing taller than most of her male counterparts, the brunette couldn't disguise her beauty in spite of how unflattering her uniform was.

He couldn't seem to stop from staring at her. There was something about her that drew him in. Rick politely excuses himself from the young woman who was vying for his attention at the moment. He worked his way across the room speaking to the others as he never lost focus on the woman. Finally standing next to her, Rodgers suddenly loses whatever courage he may have had and was ready to make a hasty retreat before being rejected by the beautiful young woman standing beside him. He was about to move away when he hears Burton call his name.

"Rodgers! There's someone here that I'd like you to meet..." Walking up beside Burton was Montgomery. The men stopped in front of Rick and his former boss begins to speak. "Richard Rodgers, I'd like you meet Roy Montgomery." Rick smiles and extends his hand to his new captain.

Montgomery shakes Ricks hand and smiles. "James tells me that you're one of his best young detectives... He also says that you've passed you sergeants exam..."

"Yes sir, that's true." Rick replies.

"Please Mr Rodgers, we're not on duty. Call me Roy."

"Only if you call me Rick." Rodgers replies with a smile.

Roy notices her standing in the corner beside Rick, looking as if she was trying to blend into the woodwork and smiles. "Beckett! What are you doing there? Are you hiding from me?" Roy laughs to let everyone know that he is only teasing.

"I wasn't hiding..." She replies while giving her former boss a irritated look.

"Katherine Beckett, I'd like you to meet Richard Rodgers." She extends her hand to the man standing beside her as he gently shakes it. Roy looks at the two of them together and smiles. He'd already read the personnel files on all of his direct reports and knew that Rodgers was exactly what she needed. "Kate here is a rising star also. She just passed her detective's exam... She's the youngest female to make detective in the NYPD. Right Kate?"

Beckett had to blush at the compliment from her former boss and the impressed look on Rick's face at the news. Rick smiles and comments. "Congratulations detective."

Kate could only smile in return and thank him for the comment. She glances at the mans watch on her wrist and frowns. "If you'll excuse me, I really have to be going..."

The three men standing near her all nod in understanding as she walks away from them and out of the bar only seconds later. Montgomery looks at Rick and can see that the man is impressed with Kate. Feeling a little like a yenta, he can't help but comment. "Kate's an extraordinary young woman... She's destined for greatness someday..."

Not knowing how to respond, all Rick could do was nod in agreement.


	2. Chapter 2

**Two:**

 _ **January 9, 1999 -**_

Kate Beckett curses herself for her foolishness as she stares at the home pregnancy test in her hand. She silently started to chant 'not positive, not positive, not positive', over and over in her head as she waited for a result. Instead of coming home for Thanksgiving as she did normally, Kate had lied to her parents that she needed to stay and study for her upcoming mid terms the following week. Instead of coming home for the holiday, Kate and her boyfriend, Rogan O'Leary decided to head to Vegas for a little 'fun'. Rogan was the bass player for one of the bands that made their rounds in the Palo Alto bars near Stanford where she was a pre-law major. Rogan personified the bad boy image that Kate seemed to be drawn to over the years.

The couple drove to Vegas for a weekend of fun. Excessive amounts of alcohol were consumed and birth control was forgotten while in their drunken haze. The two returned from their weekend together and Kate returned to her studies. She had to cancel a date with Rogan a few nights after their return to actually study for an upcoming exam with a group. The session ended early and Kate decided to surprise Rogan at the club where his band was playing.

Only Kate was the one to be surprised. She enters the club just in time to see Rogan with a girl that looked far too young to be in a club like this, heading back to the band's dressing room. Kate didn't need to follow them to know what was happening. She had been foolish enough to do the same thing herself last week. Surprisingly, she didn't feel as hurt by his betrayal as what she thought she would. She returned her attention to her studies and wrote the entire experience off as part of growing up.

And that was true until she missed her period. At first, she thought nothing about it as she could be off a couple of days either way. But the days turned into a week and she started doing the math. She was pretty sure that Rogan used protection... Kate was scheduled to fly back to San Francisco in two days and classes were scheduled to resume on the 15th. She was a twenty one year old in her senior year of college, not some fifteen year old. She had no excuse for her foolish actions.

Once again, all of her attention is focused on the pregnancy test in her hand. She gasps as the plus sign appears signaling that she is with child. Her mind swirls with images and different scenarios. The thought of having a child at this point in her life held no appeal to her. Coupled with the fact that the child's father was someone that she never wanted to see, it became obvious to her that the smart thing to do was have an abortion as soon as possible. She would have to keep it a secret, as both of her parents did not believe in such things unless there was a medical reason or a case of rape.

She could hear Johanna giving her a lecture about actions and their consequences. That she was old enough to understand these things... Kate decided that she would keep quiet about it all until she flew back to school in a few days. There was no need of creating any more tension in the home than what there was already. Things had been strained between her parents since she returned for the holidays. They tried to keep up appearances, but Kate knew her parents too well. While they never argued in front of her, she could sense that her mother was involved with something that her father didn't approve of.

Kate decided to stay out of the feud. She had her own problems to deal with at the moment. They were supposed to meet for dinner at the restaurant around the corner at a little after eight. Friday dinner together was a normal family occurrence and probably their last time out to eat together until she returns after the semester ends in May. She was planning on taking a vacation with a few friends from school to Cancun during the break between semesters.

Kate hides the pregnancy test in her travel bag and started to get ready for dinner. It was a little after six and her father should be home in a few minutes. Johanna called earlier and said that she had a last minute meeting with a client and would meet them at the restaurant as soon as she could. Jim arrived just as Kate was finishing her makeup. She greeted her father and relayed the message that Johanna may be a little late. The happy smile on Jim's face falters at the mention of her delay and Kate asks what was wrong.

Jim tries to act as if everything is fine and decides to clean up before they go to eat. Kate is watching the evening news when her father emerges from his room ready to go. He checks his watch and decides that they have a few minutes before they have to leave. He sits down in his chair and starts to watch the news with her. The two make small talk about current events to fill the time. Kate looks at the clock on the mantel and turns off the television. Father and daughter walk from the apartment talking about the cold January weather. Jim teases her about how she will get away from it all in just a few days.

They arrive at the small Italian restaurant where the Beckett's have been regulars for over a decade, and are immediately seated in what has become 'their' table. Both Jim and Kate order a glass of wine as they look at the menus. By now they knew the menu by heart and what they would have to eat. It was merely a stall tactic to kill time as they waited for Johanna's arrival. With each passing minute, Kate could sense her father's simmering anger growing. After thirty minutes Jim tells Kate that they will go ahead and eat. It was nine o'clock when the waitress brings out their dinners and there was no sign of Johanna. She didn't carry a cellphone so there was no way to contact her. The two sit there and pick at their meals in silence, feeling hurt that Johanna's work was more important than they were. It was nearly ten when they decided to leave and return home.

They return to the apartment and Kate runs to the answering machine, hoping for a message from their mother. By now their anger had turned to fear. They were both afraid that something had happened her and had no way of knowing. Kate decides that neither will get any sleep until she arrives, so she goes to the kitchen and puts on a pot of coffee. The two of them sit in the living room drinking coffee and trying to make small talk for over an hour. It was 11:46 pm when there was a knock on the door and both of them froze at the sound. Jim Beckett rose on shaky legs and made the trek to the front door peering through the eyehole.

He unlatches the deadbolt and slowly opens the door to see the two men standing there. The one flashes a badge and identifies himself as detective Raglan and gestures to the man standing beside him, identifying him as detective McCallister. Raglan asks if they could come in and Jim nods. The two men enter the apartment and make a quick look around. Kate was still seated in the chair facing her father's, not knowing what to do.

Raglan asks if they could sit and Jim gestures for them to enter the living room where Kate is still sitting. The two detectives sit at either end of the sofa as Jim introduces Kate as his daughter. Both Raglan and McCallister exchange a knowing glance at each other before he begins to speak.

"Is your wife Johanna Beckett?" Raglan asks.

"Yes, Do you know where she is?" Jim asks.

"Your wife is an attorney?" McCallister inquires.

"Yes, we both are?"

"Do you know any reason why your wife would be alone in Washington Heights at night?"

"No, She never talked to me about her clients. Can you tell me where she is?" Jim replies hurriedly, panic starting to take hold in him.

"I, I'm sorry Mr Beckett, but your wife is dead." Raglan replies emotionlessly.

Kate lets loose a heartbreaking wail as she realizes what the detective had just told them. Jim just stood there, too numb to speak.

The seconds seemed to pass like hours as the two of them try to process what the two detectives have just told them. Kate was openly sobbing now unable to believe that her mother was gone forever.

Jim regained some composure a minute later and asked the question that he had to know. "Are you sure it's her?"

Raglan nods. "Her ID was found with her. There was no signs of a robbery..." Raglan pauses for a moment before continuing. "We'd like for you to come to the precinct to make a positive identification." Kate's sobbing had eased up a little until they asked her father to identify her mother's body. The crying returned with even more force at the thought of seeing her mother dead.

"We'll give you a ride there and back Mr Beckett." McCallister comments as he rises up from the sofa. Soon Raglan does the same and the two men walk to the door.

"Give me a moment to get my coat." Jim replies as he gets up from his chair and gives Kate a heartbreaking look.

She stops her sobbing and gets up from her chair. "I'm going with you dad."

Jim looks at the two detectives standing by the door to see if it was ok. McCallister simply shrugs his shoulders as he starts to open the door. Kate follows Jim who follows the two detectives out the door and down to the street. The ride to the precinct was spent in total silence. Jim and Kate were both to numb to speak at the moment and it was obvious to the detectives that neither could help with their case.

The two Beckett's followed the detectives down into the basement of the 13th precinct and into the morgue. The coroner was there as the detectives introduced him and asked to see the body of Johanna Beckett. The coroner lead the two into the morgue and opened one of the doors where a body was being stored. He slowly slid out the table containing her body covered by a sheet.

He slowly lifts the sheet, uncovering her face. Up until that moment, there was a chance that Johanna was still alive and that they were mistaken about it all. That it was all a big misunderstanding. Seeing Johanna Beckett's body lying there destroyed that last bit of hope. Kate dropped to her knees in horror seeing her mother dead before her. Nothing in life could prepare her for this.

Jim could only nod his head as the tears took control of him also. Raglan thanks the coroner who lowers the sheet over Johanna's lifeless body and pushes her body back inside the drawer. The two detectives talk to the coroner regarding when the body will be released to the family and they thank him for his help as they wait for Jim and Kate to recover enough to be taken home.

During the ride back to their apartment, Jim recovers enough to realize that he has to keep control of his emotions until Johanna gets a proper funeral. There was a million things that needed to be done and judging from Kate's reaction, he was on his own.

But it was Kate that broke the silence in ride back to the apartment. "How did she die?" Kate asks calmly.

"We think that she died from stab wounds she received... We won't know for sure until the coroner completes his autopsy." McCallister replies.

"Did she suffer?" Kate asks as she has to know.

"I don't know miss..." Raglan replies. Their cruiser comes to a stop in front of their apartment building. The two start to enter the building as Raglan pulls a business card from his pocket, handing it to Jim. "This is my number. Call me if you can think of any reason why your wife may have been where she was when she was murdered. I'll let you know if we make any progress in catching her killer... Once again, I'm sorry for your loss." Raglan extends his hand to Jim and shakes it as the two detectives get back into their car and leave the two of them standing in the cold January night...


	3. Chapter 3

**Three:**

 _ **January 14th 1999 -**_

It was a bitter cold January day when the earthly remains of Johanna Beckett were lowered into the ground. The last five days passed in a fog. Both Kate and Jim were so focused on the task at hand that neither had any time to grieve. Kate contacted her advisor at Stanford and explained the situation to her. She told Kate to take as much time as she needed before she returned to school. It was easy to forget when the house was filled with friends and family. But the funeral service comes and goes along with everyone that was there to help you forget.

The day after the funeral, the full weight of Johanna's death became real to the two of them. Unable to face the loss, Jim turned to the bottle for comfort. As much as Kate wanted to join him there, she couldn't. She had overheard Johanna's two older sisters talking amongst themselves about her mother. About how proud she was of her daughter and her maturity. How she would give her beautiful grandchildren one day...

Kate couldn't shake the guilt she felt at the moment knowing how disappointed she would be to know how her reckless actions led to her becoming pregnant by a man that she felt nothing for. And even worse, how she had planned on ending the pregnancy, never telling her. It was at that moment that she knew she would keep the child. She would honor her mother's belief in the sanctity of life. It was the least she could do.

The problem was she had no idea how to tell her father. She knew that now was not the right time and she needed to see an OBGYN to confirm that she was pregnant. Kate was already starting to have morning sickness and the morning coffee she so loved now causes her to rush to the bathroom as soon as she drinks it.

Weeks pass and a trip to an obstetrician confirmed that she was in fact pregnant. The doctor confirmed that she was at ten weeks. She prescribed vitamins for Kate and told her to cut back on coffee and alcohol. The alcohol wouldn't be a problem and with her current aversion to coffee due to her morning sickness, her body was giving it up for her. The doctor scheduled her next appointment for two months where she would perform a sonogram.

Now armed with the proof that she was pregnant for sure, Kate decides to tell her father. Today marked one month since the two detectives knocked on their door and told them that Johanna was murdered. Kate had taken the business card that Raglan had given her father and started calling him once a week to see if there had been any progress in catching her mother's killer. The first few times she called, Raglan was polite and reported that there were no leads. Her last call was not as friendly. Kate was frustrated to hear that there was no new evidence and was appalled to hear that they didn't think they would find any after this much time.

Undeterred, Kate calls Raglan for what would be the last time. The call started off polite enough until the detective informs her that the active investigation of her mother's death has ended. They attributed her death to nothing more than a random act of gang violence. Raglan even went as far as to say that Johanna helped contribute to it by being in an area like she was all alone at night. How the area was a hot bed of gangs and drugs. The detective then informed her that he had a desk full of active cases to focus on and that unless she could offer some evidence, the case was closed.

Kate Beckett had never been so mad in her life as she was at John Raglan at the moment. She knew that her mother's death was not a random act of gang violence, but with no proof, all she had was a gut feeling. Kate ended the call and made a promise to herself that one day she would find out what really happened to her mother on that cold January night.

Kate waited for her father's return home from the law firm where he worked. She had made a light dinner of soup and sandwiches, not feeling up to preparing a full meal. The hours passed with no sign of her father and she started to worry. She called his office and the call went to the answering machine. She had a pretty good idea of where he was. Throwing on her overcoat, she's out the door and making the three block walk to the bar that he and Johanna used to visit on occasion.

Kate enters the bar, not knowing what she expects to see. She scans the darkened room and sees her father alone in a booth in the far corner from the entrance. From this distance she can hear him sobbing as he takes another drink from his glass. She walks up to his booth and slides into the other side facing him.

Through hooded eyes he stares for a moment at her and then smiles. "Katie darling! What brings you here?"

Kate tries to keep from crying herself seeing her father so broken before her. "Hey dad, you didn't come home for dinner and I got worried..."

Despite being thoroughly tanked, Jim can see the pain in his daughter's eyes. "I'm sorry Katie but it's so hard to come home at night. I keep expecting your mother to come in the door and tell me about her day... But then she doesn't and it hurts so much... I miss her so much Katie... "

Kate reaches across the table and takes his hand hold the glass and pulls it down. "It's time to come home dad."

"Home! Your mother was my home... I don't have a home now." He pulls his hand away from her and quickly downs the remainder of the drink in his glass.

"But what about me dad?" Kate fights back a sob seeing how much her mother's death has effected her father.

"What about you? Katie, bug, you're young and beautiful and intelligent and you have your whole life ahead of you... Me? I've got nothing to look forward to..." Jim blurts out as the alcohol takes control of his speech.

"I can't lose you too dad!" Kate manages to get out before a sob stops her. "I need you! Your grandchild needs you!" She gasps placing her hand over her mouth as soon as the words leave her mouth.

Jim looks at his daughter as if someone has just thrown a very large bucket of ice cold water on him. Of all of the things that his daughter could have told him at that moment, this one never entered his mind. He releases his grip from the empty glass and gives Kate an incredulous look. "Are you telling me that you're pregnant?" All Kate could do was nod her head in response much like she did as a small child when she admitted to some wrongdoing.

"Did Johanna know?" Jim asks and all Kate can do is shake her head no. "What about the father? Does he know?" Once again all she can do is shake her head no as she is unable to look at him now. It was amazing the sobering effect that news like this could have on him. To hear that his only child was pregnant and that she hadn't told the father of her child the news. "Do you plan on telling him?"

"No dad, I don't. Up until a minute ago, I wasn't sure if I was going to tell you... I lied to you and mom about staying at school and studying during Thanksgiving... We ran off to Vegas and I'm pretty sure that's when I got pregnant... Mom would be so disappointed in me..." Kate manages to voice before she starts to cry.

Seeing how broken his daughter was at that moment made him realize just how selfish he as been since his wife's death. He was not the only one left to pickup the pieces of their shattered version of normal. "Tell me that you plan on keeping the baby..." Jim states rather than asks, hoping he knew the answer already.

Kate nods her head in response. "It's what mom would have wanted me to do."

"But what do you want to do Katie?" Jim inquires.

"I don't know dad. I'm so scared of doing the wrong thing..." Kate looks at her father with red rimmed eyes.

Jim reaches across the table and takes her hands in his, giving them a gentle squeeze. "Of course you're scared Katie. I'd be worried if you weren't. But you need to know that I'll be here with you every step of the way..."

Kate slid out of her side of the booth and rose to her feet her arms extended. Jim did the same and took her in his arms giving her a tight hug. "We'll get through this together Katie dear. Trust me..."

 _ **August 21, 1999 -**_

Nathan James Beckett was born at Manhattan Mercy Medical Center. The healthy seven pound six ounce boy was named after his grandfather and great grandfather. Although secretly hoping for a daughter, Kate was thrilled beyond words when the nurse placed her son in her arms for the first time. One look at the child and she knew that she had done the right thing and wondered if Johanna felt the same way the first time she held her.

For the first time since her mother's death, Kate felt a reason to be happy. Throughout the pregnancy Jim had kept his promise to support her. He stopped drinking almost completely, and did whatever she needed to help. Kate had transferred from Stanford to NYU to complete her degree which she received in June. Faced with the decision of continuing her pursuit of a law degree or not, Kate decided to focus all of her attention on her child. She'd take a year off and then decide if she still wanted to become a lawyer.

 _ **January 9, 2000 -**_

Kate and Jim Beckett stood before the tombstone of Johanna as she lays a single rose at the base. She had been gone a year and so much had changed. Kate stood there at the grave and spoke about her son to her mother. How much he had grown and how happy she would be. Jim spoke also telling her that he would love her forever as he kissed the tips of his fingers and reverently touched her marker.

One year. No progress in catching those responsible for her death. Nothing. It was during the cab ride back from the cemetery that Kate made the decision. There was a new training class starting for the NYPD and she planned on being part of it. She would get the justice for her mother that no one else seemed to care about obtaining. She would find out who killed her mother and why.

 _ **September 5, 2000 -**_

Newly minted patrolman Katherine Beckett was assigned to work with veteran patrolman Mike Royce. Mike was a seasoned pro with nearly thirty years on the force. The two of them seemed to hit it off immediately despite the fact that he was old enough to be her father. Mike looked out for her, showing her just how unprepared she was for the real world despite her being a superstar at the academy.

Mike had a way of lecturing her without if feeling like a lecture and Kate was like a sponge soaking up every bit of knowledge that he would share. While the veteran patrolman felt genuine affection for his trainee, it was more like a father and daughter, or brother and sister. Kate may have misinterpreted his feelings and one night while they were enjoying a drink tried to move things to another level.

While flattered by her attention, Mike made it clear that there could never be anything between them. She had her whole career ahead of her and he was near the end of his. He would never take advantage of her like that. Kate took his rejection badly and started to withdraw, having no contact with him that wasn't directly related to the job. She would sneak off during her lunch break and run to the records room to look at the evidence they had on her mother's case. She'd lost count of the number of times that she had reread the reports, never finding a single shred of evidence.

Lieutenant Montgomery was in the records room looking for a report the first time he met Kate. She was tucked away in a corner with a sandwich in one hand as she was looking at report in her other hand. The other uniformed officers in the precinct had come to ignore Kate as she would look through the records as she ate her lunch, carefully return them to their proper location and leave without a word. While this was against the regulations, the other cops understood why and chose to look the other way.

But the lieutenant wasn't one of them. He walked up to where she was seated and cleared his throat before speaking to get her attention. "Patrolman! Explain to me why you are down here in the records room looking at documents that I'm sure you're not authorized to look at..."

Kate nearly falls as she tries to quickly get to her feet and give the lieutenant a feeble salute. "I'm sorry sir. I was just looking for something."

Montgomery eyes the name tag above her badge and replies. "Officer Beckett. I'm sure that you are aware of the regulations regarding access to the evidence files by unauthorized personnel?"

"Yes sir." Kate replies quickly afraid of raising the ire of her superior.

"Would you care to explain why you are here, looking at something you shouldn't?"

"It's, it's my mother's case. She was murdered over a year ago. There were never any suspects questioned or arrests made. The detectives that worked the case wrote it off as a random act of gang violence..." Kate replies with a little more conviction than what she actually felt at the moment.

It was at this moment that everything seemed to click. Roy realizes that the young woman standing before him is the daughter of Johanna Beckett. A woman, who's death was indirectly tied to his own misdeeds. He might not have been the one that killed her on that cold January night, but his actions nearly a decade earlier had started the wheels in motion. That he could not deny.

He quickly regains his composure and asks. "Who is your training officer patrolman Beckett?"

Kate fears that her breach of protocol will result in Royce being reprimanded. "My TO is Mike Royce and he knew nothing about this... I'm supposed to be at lunch sir." There was a look of pleading in her eyes that made the lieutenant change his approach.

"I'll take you at your word rookie. Consider this your one and only warning, if I see, or hear about you nosing around in the records room without authorization again, it will be your last as a member of the NYPD. Do I make myself clear?"

"Sir, yes sir. Thank you." Kate picked up the report and her remaining food and sprinted to put both in their proper location before she made a hasty retreat.

Montgomery smiles to himself as he watches the young woman run out of the records room. He'd do some investigating of his own into Katherine Beckett...


	4. Chapter 4

**Four:**

 _ **May 2002 -**_

Detective Sergeant Richard Rodgers met with his new captain Roy Montgomery for the first time in an official manner just moments ago. His new boss congratulated him on his recent promotion and wanted Rick to lead his own team of detectives for the homicide unit at the precinct. It would be a team of detectives who had transferred from other units and as the senior detective, Rick was tasked to train them. Roy reviewed the personnel files for the other three members of his new team;

Javier Esposito, a transfer from vice had been with the NYPD for five years, the last three as a detective. Javier had a military background and was a former special forces sniper.

Kevin Ryan, formerly from Narcotics where he had spent the last year in a deep cover assignment infiltrating the Irish mob.

Katherine Beckett, a rookie detective with less than two years on the force.

Rick could tell by the way Montgomery spoke about Beckett, that he considered her special. Rick thanked the captain for his confidence in him and took the personnel records with him to review. Deciding that a one on one first meeting was in order, he borrowed one of the interrogation rooms to setup shop.

He met with Kevin first. He asked Ryan about his time deep cover and assured him that he would never have to take an assignment like that again. Rick liked the young man immediately and Kevin seemed to like him also.

The meeting with Esposito was a little awkward at first. Javier displayed a cockiness from his time in Vice that wasn't needed in Homicide. He explained the makeup of their team and how he would be working closely with Ryan.

He barely recognized Kate when she entered the interrogation room. Gone was the fashion free uniform that he had seen her wearing the first time they met, replaced by a smart pant suit, complete with a blazer similar to the one he was wearing. The tight bun her hair had been was replaced with a pony tail, that made her look as young as she probably was. With her height and physique, she looked to be more at home on a fashion runway than a musky police precinct.

Kate smiled and listened intently to Rick as he explained the makeup of their team and how she would meet the other members a little later today. Because Ryan and Esposito were veteran detectives, Rick decided that he would work directly with Kate until he was sure of her performance. They could then adjust the pairings to best suit their skills. Judging by her stoic expression as he explained things to her, he wasn't sure if she was pleased to be paired with him, or thought she was being punished. Once he was done and she offered no questions, the two left the interrogation room to see where the four of them would be working.

Kate Beckett had done her homework, learning as much as she could about the man that was to become her partner and mentor . She was surprised to learn that like her, Rodgers was a single parent that lived with his parent. No one at the precinct seemed to know if he was ever married, or how he had custody of his daughter. Everyone assumed that Rick was living in his mother's loft in the trendy Chelsea section of the city as there was no way he could afford a place like that on his salary.

Kate learned his mother was the actress Martha Rodgers that she and Johanna had seen on Broadway years ago. This surprised her as he seemed to be nothing at all like the woman she remembered. With the exception of his daughter, it appeared that the people he worked with knew little about him. This she could understand as she was just as guarded with her own life.

They walked to the bullpen as the other cops referred to it, where their desks were arranged in a square. Behind Rick's desk was a roll-about plexiglass bulletin board that Rodgers refers to as his 'murder board'. Rick makes the formal introductions and shows Kate her desk beside his. He then explains the important items to the team such as where are the restrooms and just how horrible the coffee really is in the breakroom. He leaves them alone so that they can get settled into their new 'homes' as he looks over a report he had finished on his last case.

The rest of their shift went by quietly as Ryan and Espo seemed to be hitting it off quite well. Kate was quiet and silently studied one of the procedure manuals that Rick had left for her. As 5:00 approaches, Rick is anxious to get home. Quiet days like this are few and far between in this job and you take what you can get. As the clock hit five, Rick pushes himself up from his seat and announces to the others. "Quitting time folks. Enjoy the easy day because I can assure you that there won't be may like this... Besides, I've got a beautiful redhead that's waiting for me at home."

Kate's heart sank a little at the comment about the beautiful redhead waiting for him. She thought that she was going to like her new job and especially her new boss. He made her feel special and treated her with respect.

Espo comments. "Yo Ryan, Beckett... Wanna grab a drink to celebrate surviving our first day as homicide detectives?"

While Kevin eagerly accepted his offer, Kate politely declined citing a 'previous commitment'. They exchange pleasantries and all make their way to the elevator. As Kate walked by Rick's desk she saw the picture of a beautiful girl, probably six or seven years old with flaming red hair and a face full of freckles and smiled, realizing that this was probably the woman he mentioned.

The remainder of the week went by in a blur. The first case was a simple lover's quarrel gone horribly wrong, or as Espo called it, 'A Jack shot Jill over Bill'. The husband came home from work early to find his wife in bed with another man. He shot both before calling the police to turn himself in for the crime. An open and shut case. That was when Kate learned first hand just how much paperwork was required for the job. Every detail of the case had to be documented regardless of the confession and all of the evidence properly categorized just in case the perpetrator changes his mind and decides to plead not guilty at his trial.

It was then she learns the toughest part of this job. Notifying the next of kin. Kate rode with Rick in his cruiser as they drove across town to where the victim's mother lived. She watches as Rick knocks on the door about to deliver the worst news that any parent will ever hear - that their child is dead. All of the memories from that night over three years ago came rushing back at her as she watches Rodgers try to explain to the woman that her son was dead. Beckett had to admire the way her boss handled himself in such a difficult position. He took his time and answered every question the woman had honestly.

Rick offered a sincere apology and gave her one of his cards to contact him if she had any questions. The two of them returned to his cruiser and Kate could see that the effort had taken its toll on him. "This never gets easier... And if it does, then it's time for me to find a new job..." Rick comments to no one in particular.

Kate nods her head wondering how many times Rick has had to do this in his career and how many times she would have to give someone the worst news of their lives.

The next case they drew was eye opening, in more ways than one. They were called to the scene of a murder of a Manhattan socialite, Alison Tisdale. What made this murder so unique was the bizarre way her body was placed on display. Nude, and placed on a table as if it was an altar, her body was covered with rose petals. What added to the strange display was the placement of two sunflowers over her eyes.

Rick and Kate take one look at the scene and speak at the exact same moment. "Flowers for her grave!"

Lanie Parish, the medical examiner assigned to the case was examining the body near them at that moment, looks up at the two and sarcastically replies. "Aww, isn't that cute!"

The ME's comment causes both of them to blush as Rick regains his composure and calmly responds. "Doctor Parish, it's good to see you. I'd like to introduce you to my new partner, Katherine Beckett." The two women exchange nods of recognition as Lanie was busily writing something down with one hand as she examined the body with the other, "So, do we have a cause of death?"

"We sure do." Lanie replies as she moves a few of the rose petals away from the center of the woman's chest exposing two gunshot wounds. "Small caliber, possibly 32. She bled out before her body was placed here. Won't know for sure until I get her back to the morgue."

Both Rodgers's and Beckett frowned hearing this information. Rick grimaced and shook his head muttering something to the himself.

Kate looks at her partner and wonders why he was so upset. "This is exactly like the book..."

Rick shakes his head. "No, not exactly. The roses are the wrong color." He replies, unable to take his eyes off of the body before him.

Kate arches her eyebrows in mild surprise at his response, but before she can say anything, he turns and walks towards the door leaving her standing there. She quickly follows, closing the distance between the two of them just before they make it to their cruiser. They climb inside and are on their way back to the precinct before Beckett breaks the silence. "What's got you so rattled Rodgers? Did you know the vic?"

Rick shook his head in response. "There will be two more murders if the perp follows the book..." He offers, more to himself than to Kate.

Beckett gives him a confused look and then inquires. "So you've read Richard Castle's novels? I used to love reading them... I wonder why he quit writing..."

"Maybe he lacked inspiration." Rick replies, his voice barely louder than the New York traffic surrounding them.

As he predicted, two more bodies were found in similar poses as the ones in the novel. While they were similar, neither were exactly as the book, with little details overlooked. Rick spotted these differences immediately and was surprised when Beckett noticed them also.

"We need to contact the publisher and see if we can speak to Richard Castle. Maybe he can shed some light on this." Beckett suggests.

"I doubt it. He hasn't been involved with Black Pawn in a very long time." Rick replies.

"What if he's behind these murders?" She counters. "They could at least provide us with his true identify and we could determine if he's a suspect or not."

"Do you really think that a man that kept his identity a secret, never allowed an interview or a picture to be taken would suddenly decide to copy the murders in one of his books? No, what we need to do was find the connection with these victims. The reason they were chosen. If there's no connection, then we're dealing with a serial killer and all bets are off." Rodgers responds and rakes his fingers through his hair in frustration.

Kate nods her head in understanding, but puzzled as to why they shouldn't at least make an attempt to contact the mysterious Mr Castle for any insight he may have. "What's next then, partner?" She inquires.

"Let's talk to the father of the first vic. Maybe he would know what the connection is between her and the other two." Rick replies. Jonathan Tisdale was a powerful man with connections everywhere. Rodgers was confident that the man would want to do anything humanly possible to catch the person that took his daughter's life.

They arrived at the elegant Manhattan skyscraper that was home to Tisdale's office. The office was equally elegant and the man that greeted them was exactly what one would expect to see. Rick led the conversation explaining that there were two additional murders committed in a similar manner and asked if his daughter may have known either victim. Tisdale explained that his daughter's charity work put her in contact with all sorts of people and he had no idea of every person that she may have had contact with.

Rodgers listened intently to the man, his eyes straying around the room at the various photos adorning the walls and his desk. He then asked Tisdale what would happen to his estate now that his daughter was dead which earned an somewhat shocked look from both the man and his partner standing beside him.

Regaining his composure, Tisdale calmly remarks that his son would inherit the entire fortune now. Rick apologized for asking the questions that he did and promised to let him know just as soon as they made an arrest. He and Beckett left his office and were silent until they got on the elevator.

As soon as the doors closed, Rick remarks. "He's dying."

"Dying? How do you know that?" Kate responds, curious as to what her partner saw that led him to that conclusion.

"Tisdale's sick, like deadly sick. He's wearing a toupee, granted a good one, but he's lost all of his hair..." Rick comments.

"Cancer." Kate responds and sees Rodgers' nod in agreement. "If he's that sick, why keep it a secret?"

"He's CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. If word got out that he was dying, the stock would plummet, taking his fortune with it." Rick replies. He pauses and then poses the question. "And who benefits the most from Alison's death?"

"The brother. He'll get everything now." Kate replies and Rick smiles at her in response. "What do we know about the brother?"

"Let's pay him a visit and find out..." Rick answers, as they climb into the cruiser. He glances at Kate as she surreptitiously checks the large watch on her wrist. "Tell you what, it's getting late and you probably have a hot date or something. I can do a little homework on the brother and we can talk with him in the morning... Is that ok?"

Beckett's cheeks flush crimson, knowing that she had been caught. She wasn't sure if she should be flattered or angry at his 'hot date' comment. The truth was, she did have a date tonight with the two most important men in the world to her - her father and son. Today was Jim's birthday and they had reservations at one of the trendier restaurants in the city to celebrate. She hated the thought of having to cancel and was grateful that her partner had given her a way out.

Rather than elaborate, all she could do was respond with a "thanks" and a small smile.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

 _ **May 2002 -**_

Richard Rodgers knew exactly why Richard Castle quit writing six years ago. His first novel, A Hail of Bullets, was published months after his graduation from NYU. His publisher decided that a nom de plume would boost sales and they chose the name Castle for him. He was never photographed for any of his books and they decided that keeping his identity secret would only add to the mystery of his novels. While the critics seemed to love the book, sales never materialized the way both he and Black Pawn envisioned.

Rick liked the anonymity and the breakup with his college sweetheart, Kyra Blane, inspired him to write his second novel, A Rose Forever After. It met the same fate as his first effort, with glowing reviews, but lackluster sales. He met Meredith Lee, an aspiring young actress, not long after his third novel, Flowers for Her Grave, was released to less than positive reviews. Still reeling from his breakup with Kyra, they decide to move in together. Three months later, Meredith learns that she is pregnant with Rick's child.

Black Pawn, his publisher, decided to not offer him another contract as none of his novels sold particularly well at that time and Rick assumed that his career was over.

With a pregnant girlfriend and no real job, Rick decides that he needed to 'grow up'. It was then that he decided that a career in Law Enforcement was the answer. He secretly hoped that maybe the job would inspire him to write the type of story that would please both the critics and the general public. But life and the responsibilities that come with raising a precocious child, put those dreams to rest. As Rick has always lived beneath his means, he was able to get by on his NYPD salary.

Meredith resented the idea of being 'involved' with a 'cop' and let him know as much in no uncertain terms. This was also the same time she decided to leave Rick and their infant child to pursue her career in California. Then came the abandonment and his struggle to obtain custody of Alexis. It was 1995, he was a single father, getting by on a patrolman's salary. His career as a writer was behind him.

But then fate intervened. The Sunday New York Times ran a story in their literature section about hidden gems that were critically praised, yet never seemed to catch on with the general public. His first novel, A Hail of Bullets, was singled out as one them and his writing style was compared to Hammett and Spillane. Rick didn't read the article, but people around the world did and Black Pawn issued several printings to satisfy the sudden demand.

Rick was preparing for his new job as detective and had no idea that Richard Castle was a hot property again. He was too busy with his job and raising a toddler to worry about what might have been. The small apartment that he shared with his daughter was in a good neighborhood not far from the loft his mother owned. He came home one night after a particularly tough shift. He paid the sitter and then went to check on Alexis before nearly collapsing in his bed, too tired to check the multiple messages on his answering machine.

When he finally did check his messages, he learned that Black Pawn was very interested in offering him a new three book contract with a high six figure signing bonus. To say he was surprised would be a masterpiece of understatement. There were several follow-up messages asking for his agent to contact them as soon as possible. He still couldn't figure out why they would be interested in him after the way he was unceremoniously dropped by them two years ago. It wasn't like his books were flying off of the shelves if his last royalty check was any indicator.

As he had no interest in writing at this time, he ignored the call, assuming that there was some sort of mixup by one of the new editors at Black Pawn. It wasn't until he received a royalty check for $500,000.00 a few days later did he learn that Richard Castle was an overnight sensation - four years late. Suddenly, the need for an entertainment attorney and financial advisor was apparent. Luckily, he had went to NYU with a business student who was now a financial analyst for one of the larger investment firms in the city. Carrie Peterson had been friends with both Kyra and Rick and would have probably pursued him herself it it wasn't obvious that his heart belonged to her sorority sister. She was thrilled at the chance to see her old friend and his faith in her to handle his finances. Her father was a partner at a law firm that dealt with the entertainment industry and Carrie was sure that he would take Rick on as a client. She wasn't as surprised as he thought she would be when Carrie learned that he was the writer Richard Castle.

Within a month, two of his novels were on the Times best sellers list with the third in the top twenty. The calls from several publishing houses were coming in now and he referred all requests to Arthur Peterson, his attorney. There were offers from several studios for the rights to his novels for adaptation to movies.

Six months later Richard Rodgers was a millionaire thanks to the steady stream of royalties from his novels and Carrie's shrewd investments. Meredith somehow caught wind of his new wealth and decided that she was entitled to something in exchange for 'giving' him Alexis. His attorney assured him that she had no claim to any income from his novels as they were all written before they began their relationship and they were never married.

Rick knew that Meredith had no rights to any of his fortune, but decided to offer her a cash settlement in exchange for her agreement to never reveal his identity or pursue litigation again. This happened to be the same time that he learned Martha had been bilked of her entire fortune by her 'boyfriend's' get rich quick scheme. She had even mortgaged her loft and was on the verge of the bank taking it away from her. Faced with eviction, Martha agrees to live with him and Alexis. He would purchase the loft at fair market value and she could use the profits to pay off her other debts.

To the outside world it would appear that she took her son and granddaughter in to live with her. Only they would know the truth. Rodgers took more than his fair share of ribbing from his fellow detectives for moving in with his 'mommy'. As far as anyone he worked with knew, he was just trying to provide the best environment he could for his daughter.

He was fine with that and up until today, Richard Castle was nothing more than a reminder of another life. Richard Rodgers was a cop and a single parent first and foremost - things that he was proud of. Let someone else have the fame.

X-X-X-X

Rick returned to the loft and greeted the babysitter who looked after Alexis for the hours she was out of school and he was still at work. The sitter worked for a service that provided babysitters at all hours for the professionals in the city. They weren't cheap, but they were reliable and Alexis seemed to like them. At nine years old, she was far too mature for her age and Rick sometimes worried that she was missing out on the joys of childhood. He never had that problem as a child and was responsible for being asked by several of the cities private schools to seek his education elsewhere.

It wasn't like he was looking for trouble, but it seemed like every time they learned that Rick had no idea who his father was, he would become the subject of ridicule which invariably lead to the fights to defend his mother's honor. That was why Martha never really punished him for his actions. He became more and more of a loner in school, spending the majority of his time with his nose buried in a book.

He was eleven when one of the few friends he had at the prep school he was attending at that time invited him to spend the weekend with his family in upstate New York. Martha was on location shooting a movie, so she wouldn't care if he was gone. He was wandering alone in the woods outside his friends home when he discovered the body, nearly tripping and falling over it. Rick would forever remember her lifeless eyes as he stared at the young woman. Out of nowhere, a man appeared, cloaked in all black with the exception of a white porcelain mask. Before he knew what was happening, the man placed the knife that he had used to kill the young woman below him, to his throat.

Rick was sure that he would become the killer's next victim before he spoke. "You saw nothing. If you ever mention any of this, I will find you and kill you."

He releases Rick from his hold and pulls away the knife. "Run!" The man hisses as Rick takes off in the direction of his friend's house. He tells his friend of his ordeal and begs him to come with him to see the body. Reluctantly, the friend agrees, sure that this is some elaborate prank to get even with him for leaving Rick alone in the woods. They arrive at the spot where he had discovered the body only to find nothing. Not a trace of anything that would indicate that a young woman had been murdered there.

Adamant that he had found a body, Rick tries, and fails, to convince his friend that it wasn't part of an elaborate prank. He returned to the city and struggled with the frequent nightmares of that terrible day. He never mentioned it to Martha and as time passed, he wondered if it really happened. But one thing that did stick with him was his need to understand what would motivate one human being to kill another. That was why his novels were murder mysteries. Trying to explain why people kill. He was sure that was why he excelled at being a homicide detective.

His trip down memory lane came to an end the moment he tapped on his daughter's door before entering. Alexis looked up from the book she was reading and smiled, seeing her father. He closed the distance between them and wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug. "How was school Pumpkin?"

"Good. Catch any bad guys today?" Alexis replies as she returns the hug.

"Not today... but I'm close." Rick replies with a sigh.

Alexis Harper Rodgers may have been nine, but she was already keenly attuned to her father's moods. She could sense that there was something about the case he was working that was really troubling her father. "What is it dad? You know you can't keep secrets from me." She places both hands on her hips giving him a look of seriousness that causes him to smile at the role reversal.

"It's nothing Pumpkin... Just a tough case. I need to do a little homework... What say I order pizza?" Rick responds.

"Sure thing dad." Alexis replies, knowing that her dad isn't going to elaborate on what is bothering him at this moment. She returns her attention to the book before her as Rick turns and quietly leaves the room.

Rick goes down the stairs, entering the kitchen and starts looking through the assortment of menus for the restaurant's they order from. Finding the one he wanted, he pulls out his cellphone and places his order. Satisfied with his effort, he puts his phone away and heads to his office.

The ability to access information on others using the internet in 2002 was a far cry from what it is today. Rick was able to learn that Harrison Tisdale had his own produce wholesale business and from the few articles he could find, was doing well. The only thing that he was able to find that would raise some suspicions was it appeared that there was some rift between Harrison and his father. While there were multiple pictures of Jonathan and his daughter at civic and charity functions, pictures of the father and son were nonexistent.

The sound of the delivery boy knocking on his door pulls him from his thoughts and he readies the breakfast bar for his dinner with his daughter. He wondered how his new partner was faring on her 'date'. He didn't know why he felt a brief twinge of jealousy. After all, he barely knew her and she seemed as guarded with her personal life as he did.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

Kate smiles seeing her two best 'guys' sitting with her at the quiet table. She was surprised when her father chose the small Italian restaurant that they used to go to with her mother, but he explained that it felt as if Johanna was with them. They hadn't been back to this place since the night of her murder and even the owners were surprised to see them here. At first it was awkward for Kate to be here, but after a few moments, her happy memories of meals with Johanna there came back.

Maria Guccione, the owner and hostess, was thrilled to see them after all this time. If she was shocked to see Kate with her young son, she kept it hidden and doted over the child as if he was a family member. When Maria learned why they were there she insisted that they prepare a special birthday dinner for them, which they readily accepted. Nathan enjoyed the meal and all of the attention he received from 'Mama Guccione', especially the birthday cake they shared with Jim.

They made small talk as they enjoyed their meal and everyone participated, even little Nate. His vocabulary for his age amazed both Kate and Jim, talking about his adventures in daycare with the other children his age. Jim talked a little about a planned fishing trip that he was taking with his brother-in-law in a few weeks.

She was thrilled to hear that he was starting to reclaim his old life again. Between his wife's murder and her young son, he had no time to dwell on his own issues. At first, that was a good thing, as she was sure that he would have crawled inside of a bottle if it wasn't for her pregnancy. Kate knew that her father loved her mother deeply and wondered if he would ever be able to find another. She wondered if she would ever find her 'one and done', if such a thing even existed.

Kate was pulled from her thoughts by her father asking a question regarding how she was adjusting to life as a homicide detective. She replied that she found it challenging and satisfying. He asked how she was getting along with her new mentor and Kate quickly replied that she liked him very much, earning a look of mild surprise from her father. Embarrassed at her candid reply, she explains that she liked the way he approaches an investigation. How he likes for her to look beyond the evidence in front of her.

Jim can only give her a skeptical look in response to the adept way she had backtracked from her original response. She had mentioned that her partner was a single parent like her, but had no idea if he was ever married to the child's mother. Kate just assumed that he was. Unlike her, he had no problem talking about his daughter with anyone who would listen. Only Captain Montgomery knew about her son at the precinct. She wondered how her partner would react if he knew that she was a single parent also.

She smiles seeing her son nodding off in his booster seat. This was past his normal bedtime and his body decided that he'd had enough fun for one day. She settles the check and scoops her son out of the seat and into her arms as Jim hails a cab. Kate carries her son into their apartment and gently places him on the bed. She removes his shoes and socks while deciding that she didn't want to wake him to change him into pajamas. Placing a soft kiss on his forehead as she tells him 'good night little man' as she pulls the covers over his body. Kate would have never thought she was capable of loving someone as much she did Nathan and she hoped that her mother would be proud of her.

X-X-X-X

Kate arrived at the precinct a few minutes before her shift starts to see a large cup of takeout coffee sitting on her desk. She places her purse inside her desk and examines the cup. Her partner was sitting at his desk with a similar looking cup before him. Removing the lid, she takes a tentative sip and cannot help but smile. It was exactly the way she liked it.

By now Rick had turned to look at her as she took the first drink. Seeing her reaction, he gives her a satisfied smile of his own.

"It's perfect. How did you know?" Kate inquires.

"I'm pretty observant... You know, like a detective?" Rick replies with a grin. "I know the breakroom coffee tastes like a monkey peed in battery acid."

Kate has to laugh at the mental image he provided, but had to agree that the coffee there was some kind of awful. "Thank you Rodgers."

"Anytime Beckett." Rick replies. There was a pause, followed by look of hesitation before he speaks. "You know... if you'd like... I swing by this coffee shop every morning... l could pick you up a cup when I get mine..."

Kate nearly blushes, seeing her partner asking as if he was a teenager and wanted to take her to the prom. "That would be great. Thank you." She replies with demure smile.

"No problem. That's what partners do."

Ryan and Esposito arrived a few minutes later. Both appeared to have celebrated a little too much the night before and Rick decided to take it easy on them by having the two check into Harrison Tisdale's financial history. He and Kate would visit the man at his business. Rick talked about what little he was able to discover about the man and suspected that there may have been a falling out between father and son.

At first Harrison behaved exactly as one would expect a person would act after losing a sibling. He even admitted that his father and he had not been very close recently and that Alison had been his only connection to his family. Then he started asking about the other victims, offering his theory that it must have been the work of a serial killer.

The two detectives listened to Harrison offer an alibi for the times of the murders, saying he was out of the country. He even offers his passport to them as proof. Rick frowns and asks. "How long have you known that your father was dying?"

Harrison tries to mask his surprise at the question, but decides to offer something close to the truth. "Only about a month now. Alison told me."

"What happens to your sister's inheritance now?" Kate inquires which causes Rick to give her a wink.

"I don't know." Tisdale replies a little too quickly.

Rick thanks Harrison for his cooperation and gives him a business card, asking him to call if he thinks of anything that may help. The two detectives exit the building and nearly make it to their cruiser before Kate breaks the silence. "He's lying."

Rodgers smiles and inquires. "About what?"

"Everything. Why would he offer an alibi for not only his sister's murder, but for the others as well? We never told him when the others were killed."

Rick's smile grows as they get into the cruiser, but rather than pull away, they sit in the car. He pulls his cellphone from his pocket and dials a number. Kate starts to ask who he is calling when he holds up his hand to silence her.

"Hey Kev, it's Rodgers. I need you to prepare a search warrant for the home and offices of Harrison Tisdale..." There was an extended pause before he continues. "Yeah, Beckett thinks he's lying about the murder and I want you to fax the warrant to Judge Markway asap. Ok? I'll give Markway a call for him to sign off... Oh, one more thing, look up Harrison's home address and text it to me... Great. Thanks." Rick ends the call, closing his flip phone.

Kate cant help but smile seeing her partner agree with her logic and taking things to the next level. "So what are we doing now?" She inquires.

"Testing a theory Beckett. I think you're right, but for him to pull this off he needed another passport. I figure that he wouldn't keep something like that here at his office..."

"He'd keep that at home." She finishes his thought for him, which results in both of them smiling. "Will Markway give you a warrant on a hunch?"

"I figure that we rattled Tisdale by the way he was acting... He'll want to make sure that the one item that could prove his guilt is either destroyed or hidden away somewhere it can never be found..."

Just as he finished speaking, Tisdale exits his warehouse and nearly sprints to his car. Rick starts their car and mutters "shit" to himself as he pulls his phone from his pocket and hastily dials a number. There was an extended pause before Kate can hear his side of the conversation. "Hey Bob, it's Rick Rodgers... Yeah, Martha is doing well... I'm in a bit of a bind for time here. You know about Alison Tisdale's murder? Well, my partner and I believe that her brother may have been involved... Yes, I know that you and Jonathan members of the same country club... Did you know he has cancer? If Jonathan dies, his entire estate goes to Harrison, the son. We have reason to believe that he has evidence that would implicate him in the murder and he's just rabbited from his office to go destroy it... Yes, timing is critical. You should have a copy on your fax machine. Thanks, I owe you one Bob. Yes, I'll tell mother that you said hello. Thanks again." Rick ends the call smiling while Kate looks at him in surprise.

"What can I say, sometimes having a somewhat famous actress for a mother comes in handy." Rick remarks with a grin that causes Kate to chuckle at his faux innocent look. His phone vibrates in his pocket and he extracts it to find the address for Harrison Tisdale's apartment on the upper west side.

They arrive outside Tisdale's apartment building, stopping in front. Harrison has entered through the underground parking garage and they can only hope to catch him before he has a chance to destroy whatever evidence he may have there. Rick tells Kate to wait outside and keep an eye on the fire escape and the garage, just in case he tries to flee. Backup patrolmen should be here any minute, but for now they are on their own.

Rodgers speaks to the doorman to find out Harrison's apartment number and is quickly on the elevator. As he exits, he hears the sound of the door slamming shut to Tisdale's apartment and runs to pursue the man. As he nears the door, he can hear the sound of what appears to be a paper shredder. Pounding on the door, he calls out. "Harrison Tisdale. It's Detective Rodgers of the NYPD. I need to speak to you."

The sound of the shredder increases, as if it is jammed and he can hear noises from within the apartment. Rick pounds on the door again, warning him that he will break it down if he doesn't answer.

Kate's gaze has been continuously shifting from the garage exit in the front of the building to the side where the fire escapes were. Several minutes pass and she sees the window opening to Tisdale's apartment and Harrison crawling out of it with a small bag in hand. Seconds later, she waits for him to climb down the stairs hoping to catch him as the ladder descends to the street.

She waits until he is on the ground before appearing from behind the dumpster where she was hiding. "Harrison Tisdale, you're under arrest!" She calls out with a confidence she didn't know she had. By this time Rick had broken in the door and was staring out the window watching his partner in action.

Tisdale was desperate now and reaches into his bag, brandishing the same weapon that he had used to kill his sister. Seeing the weapon, Rodgers makes his way down the stairs faster than even he thought was possible. When he was sure that he had a shot, he calls out to Harrison to just give up, that there's no way out. Seeing Tisdale distracted by her partner, Kate takes advantage and closes the distance between her and him. Using a spinning kick move she had learned at the academy, she disarms the man and by the time her smiling partner reaches the street, Tisdale's hands are behind his back in cuffs.

By this time the other units were there and two uniformed officers took Harrison off to the precinct. Rick can't help but smile at his partner as she remains silent. "Pretty smooth moves there detective..."

Still riding the adrenaline rush from her actions, all Kate could do was offer a shy smile and reply. "Thanks."

The ride back to the precinct was made in silence as they replayed the events in the last few hours. By the time they arrived, Harrison was waiting in the interrogation room. They sat across from their suspect and Rick let Kate take the lead, only adding to or supporting her as needed. Armed with the evidence that they had, it was a foregone conclusion of his guilt. It only took a few minutes before he confessed to all three murders.

Unable to remain silent, Rick had to know why he had chosen Richard Castle's novel to copy. It was then that they learned, Alison had tried to get one of the mentally challenged people that she was helping a job at her brother's warehouse. It was then that Harrison learned of the man's obsession with all of Richard Castle's novels. Deciding that he would make an excellent patsy, Tisdale bought a copy of Flowers for her Grave and tried to make the murders look the same.

Rick shook his head in disgust hearing Tisdale talk about the murders so calmly. "That was where you made your mistake... An obsessed fan would have made sure that every detail was perfect. You were close, but my partner and I immediately spotted little things that were off. Things that eventually led us to you."

Upon exiting the interrogation room they were met by Montgomery. After briefing him on what had happened, making sure that his partner got more than her share of the credit, the caption first congratulates them then warns them about having backup available before they approach a suspect. The both promised to do so in the future and returned to their desks. Rick looked at his watch and offers to take Kate, Ryan and Espo out for a celebratory drink. Kate a first declines, but after some not so gentle prodding from the other three, she relents, being assured that it will only be for one drink.

"Where are we going? Clancy's?" Ryan asks, assuming that they were going to the cop bar nearest the precinct.

"Ever heard of the Olde Haunt?" Rick inquires.

"No man. Sounds like some uppity place." Espo replies and Ryan nods his head in agreement.

Rick considers his comment and decides that maybe they'd be better off going someplace familiar. "Ok then, Clancy's it is... and I'm buying the first round."

"That's what makes you a good leader." Espo replies earning a laugh from Ryan and a giggle from Beckett.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

Rick returned to his loft a few hours after the four detectives celebrated with drinks at Clancy's. While both Ryan and Esposito both took advantage of his generosity, enjoying several drinks, Kate nursed a single glass of red wine and left only a few minutes after arriving. She thanked Rick for the gesture, but said she had promised to help her father with something, unwilling to elaborate. After declining his offer to drive her home, he thanked her for coming and wished her a good night.

He walked into his office and opens his laptop for the first time in what seemed like months. He had kept a journal of sorts since he became a detective, documenting the more interesting cases that he had worked over the years. The idea was that one day he'd figure out a way to make a novel from his adventures. The problem was he needed a lead character to focus the stories around. Someone that readers would care about. One thing that he was certain of was that he, or someone like him wasn't it.

He thought about his new partner. She was beautiful, smart, mysterious and had a justification for her being a cop. For the first time in years, he wanted to write. His lead character would be based upon Kate Beckett.

Over the next few weeks, Rick fell into a routine of work, dinner with his daughter and writing into the early morning hours. The words seemed to flow to the page with an ease he never expierienced in the past and before he knew it his novel was done. Martha put him in touch with her agent, who forwarded him to a literary agent named Paula Vincent. Paula was thrilled at the idea of representing the Richard Castle and knew that she could get top dollar for his novel.

Rick advised her that as Black Pawn was the publisher that gave him his start, they should get the first chance at the rights. She reluctantly agreed, but appreciated his loyalty. He was adamant that his identity was to be kept a secret, which did not please his agent one bit. But she was also smart enough to that if she pressed the issue, he'd find someone else that would respect his wishes.

It took a few weeks and several threats to walk away before Black Pawn won the rights to publish his novel. He retained all rights to option his story for either the stage or screen and the signing bonus was impressive. The only catch was that it was a three book deal. Rick was reluctant to commit to such a deal, but knew that it would provide him with enough money that he would never have to worry about Alexis' needs. He was a realist and knew that he could be killed on the job every day.

The final point of contention was the name of the lead character. While Black Pawn had no problem with the last name Heat as it gave them a clever way of using it in the title, the first name of Vicky didn't have the 'zing' that they thought she needed. Exasperated as every name he suggested was either too feminine or too butch, he threw out Nikki as almost a joke. Black Pawn loved it and thus Nikki Heat was born.

While Kate may have been the inspiration for the character, the real life version was quite a bit different from her fictional counterpart. At times as he wrote it, he felt as if he was creating a version of Kate that would be interested in a guy like him. As observant as he was, he knew little about the real woman other than what he was allowed to see in her files and his brief discussion with Montgomery when she first came in. She was always guarded with anything personal and she never mentioned her mother's murder - until their last case.

A woman's body was found at a construction site. It was obvious that the woman had been frozen somewhere and dumped like a piece of garbage. Lanie said that the victim could have been dead for years. Luckily, they were able to identify the victim as Melanie Cavanaugh through dental records and learned that she had been reported missing five years earlier. When they tried to contact the victim's husband, they learned that he had been murdered in an apparent mugging gone wrong a year before this gruesome discovery.

Rick and Kate made the drive to New Rochelle, to notify the victim's parents in person. They learned that the children were being raised by the grandparents and appeared to be doing well. Neither was surprised to learn that their daughter had been murdered and had been convinced from the beginning that her husband was behind it all. They talked about how the detectives assigned to the case were quick to assume that their daughter had simply ran away to return to her old boyfriend. The father spoke with such bitterness as he recalled all of the times that he contacted the detectives requesting any news on the case only to be told that there was none. Rick promised them that he would do everything that he could to find out who was responsible for their daughter's death.

They spoke to the lead detective who handled the victim's case five years earlier to see if he could shed some light on the matter. He had left the NYPD years ago and was now a sheriff in a small Pennsylvania town. The more that they talked to him about the case, the more Kate seemed to withdraw. He was surprised to learn that she had been murdered as he had written her disappearance off as nothing more than a case of wanderlust. She had been involved with drugs and had a two time felon as a boyfriend before meeting her husband and settling down. Two children soon followed and to the casual observer, everything was fine. The sheriff revealed that the victim had ran off before with her former lover, but had returned a few weeks later. He simply assumed that this was the case again. He spoke about it so casually as if her death was inevitable and Kate found it hard to maintain her composure.

The drive back to the city was spent in uncomfortable silence. Rick knew that there was something about this case that Kate had taken personally. Deciding that it was none of his business, he opted to wait until she decided to speak. They had nearly made it back to the city before she breaks the silence. "I hate cops like him... he made up his mind the moment he was given the case and never looked for anything that would prove him wrong..."

All Rick could do was nod his head in understanding. The force was filled with cops just like the old sheriff, unwilling to look any deeper than the surface for clues. Granted, most of the time you don't have to look very deep to find the perpetrator. All murders were committed for one of three reasons, love, money, or power. Some times it was a combination of two, if not all three, but in the end you could boil it down to those reasons.

They arrived at the precinct near the end of the shift and Rick sat down to do the paperwork from their interview with the sheriff. Kate had asked to borrow the cruiser for an errand she had to run and promised to drop it by his place later. While Rick told her that he could take a cab to and from work, she insisted that she only needed the car for a couple of hours and would drop it off later. He wished her a good night and she left as soon as the shift was over. He stayed on for a little while to follow-up on some information he had requested about the victim's husband.

Rick arrived at the loft about an hour or so later, Chinese take-out in hand. He was surprised to learn that the sitter had been sent home already and that Martha was staying in for the evening. They enjoyed a quiet meal as Rick listened intently to his two favorite women in the world discussing their days. As it was Wednesday, the usual routine was a friendly round of laser tag with he and Alexis after dinner. It was one of the few expensive indulgences that he allowed for himself, justifying it as something that both he and his daughter could share. Martha excused herself soon after the meal was over, leaving Rick to deal with the dishes as usual. While he cleaned up, Alexis gathered up their vests and laser pistols.

They were well into their second match of the evening. Rick had won the first one by only a point and unless he won this one also, there would be a third. Martha had returned from her room and was reading a book and providing assistance to her granddaughter regarding where her son may be hiding at that moment. Alexis had just scored a point and was making a hasty retreat up the stairs with her father in pursuit when the doorbell rang.

Curious as to whom would be calling on them at this hour, Martha went to the door to answer it, forgetting that her face was covered in a cucumber based facial mask. Throwing the door open with her typical dramatic flair, it would be a close call at which one of them had the most surprised look on her face.

Regaining her composure, Kate inquires. "Is Richard Rodgers here?"

Martha smiles at the stunned expression on the young woman's face and turns towards the staircase. "Richard darling, there's a beautiful women here to see you..."

The next sound heard was two sets of feet making their way down the stairs mixed with giggles from a young girl. Kate sees Rick decked out in his vest, goggles and carrying his laser pistol and has to fight the urge to laugh. She could only imagine the ribbing that he would take from the other cops at the precinct if they knew. Standing directly behind him was a beautiful young girl with flaming red hair and a face full of freckles. She was similarly dressed and they both appeared to be out of breath.

"Beckett!" Rick calls out as he approaches where she is standing. "I forgot that you were bringing back the cruiser tonight..." Martha gives him a poke in the ribs and a stern look. He realizes his faux pas, and offers a goofy smile while placing his pistol to his head. "Where are my manners! Katherine Beckett, I'd like you meet my mother, Martha and my daughter, Alexis."

The younger redhead emerges from behind her father and extends her hand to Beckett. "It's nice to meet you Ms Beckett. Dad talks about you all the time."

Kate arches her eyebrow in mild surprise at the statement before speaking. "Well, I hope it wasn't all bad. And please, call me Kate."

"No, Kate, all dad ever says is how much he enjoys working with you." Alexis offers sincerely, which causes Rick's cheeks to flush a wonderful shade of crimson.

Ever the hostess, Martha takes control of the conversation again by offering Kate a drink. Before she could answer one way or another, Rick nearly sprints to the kitchen and pours her a glass from the bottle of red that Martha had opened with dinner. Martha guides Kate into the living room and she takes a seat on the sofa just as Rick returned with her wine. She thanks him as he takes a seat on the sofa with his mother and daughter.

She takes a small sip from the glass and smiles. It was obvious that Martha had good taste, Kate thought as she enjoys the wine. She takes an appraising look around the loft and is more than a little surprised that the decor is not what she had expected given the flamboyant nature of Martha Rodgers. In fact, she thought the muted colors and conservative furnishings were more suited to Rick, or at least how she would envision an apartment of his.

"You have a lovely home Ms Rodgers." Kate offers as she takes another sip of her wine.

"Thank you darling... And no one calls me Ms Rodgers. Please call me Martha." The woman responds with her normal dramatic flair, causing Rick and Alexis to groan, then giggle simultaneously.

"Did you get your errands done?" Rick inquires as he takes a drink from his glass.

"Yes, thank you." Kate replies.

"Anytime you need the cruiser, feel free to ask. Most of my evenings are spent here with my two red headed masters." Rick replies with a chuckle which earns him a poke from both women.

"I'm sure that you have a lot of embarrassing stories about my dad... Care to share?" Alexis asks with a mischievous smile.

"Do I ever..." Kate offers her own mischievous smile, seeing the look of panic of Rick's face. "But he's my partner and I'd like to keep it that way..."

Alexis looks at the clock over the fireplace and comments. "It's past my bedtime... It was nice to meet you Kate." The youngster moves towards her father wrapping her arms around him and giving him a kiss. "Goodnight daddy." She whispers as he returns the hug and gives her a kiss on the cheek of his own.

"Goodnight pumpkin. Sweet dreams." Rick replies as he watches her nearly run up the stairs to her room.

Martha decides that it was time for her to turn in also and rises up from her seat. "Well, I think that it's time for me to turn in also. I've got an audition for a role tomorrow and I want to be at my best." She turns to Kate and extends her hand. "Katherine darling, it was a pleasure to meet you. Try to keep Richard in line... if that's possible."

Rising up from her seat, Kate takes the proffered hand and gives it a gentle squeeze. "Same here Martha. And I'll try, but I cant make any promises..."

"You wound me detective." Rick replies in an overly dramatic manner that earns a smile from Kate and a frown from Martha as she turns and walks up the stairs to her room.

"It's getting late and I should be heading home." Kate remarks as she starts to walk to the door.

Rick offers a sad smile and replies. "Yeah, you're right. We've still got a case to solve, and I certainly need my beauty sleep."

She has to laugh at his comment and stops as her hand starts to turn the knob. "It was nice to meet your family. Alexis is a wonderful child."

"Isn't she? She's everything that I could only hope to be." Rick replies with such pride and sincerity that Kate couldn't help but feel touched, as she felt that way about her son. "Good night Kate." He offers as she exits his apartment.

"You too... Rick." She replies as she walks away.

Kate spent entire cab ride back to her apartment, marveling at how comfortable her partner appeared to be as a father and son. The love he felt for both women was obvious. She wondered if she would ever be comfortable enough with her partner to share the fact that they have more in common than he could know. Maybe someday...

But not today.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight:**

The next few days were spent following what few leads they had on the case. Ryan and Espo were able to track down the victim's ex boyfriend who was in a New Jersey prison for drugs. They were able to confirm that he had been in jail in Pennsylvania for another crime during the time frame of the victim's disappearance.

Rick and Kate follow up on the husband's financial records and discover that he had been renting a storage unit from the time of his wife's death until his own. A trip to the facility reveals that someone else had been keeping up on the payments until a few months ago. The manager of the storage facility admitted that they cleared it out for a new renter about the same time as the victim's body was discovered.

It was when Kate pressed the manager for what was inside of the unit that things started to fall into place. It only took a couple of minutes between the two of them working the manager before he had admitted his part in this whole sordid mess. He discovered a locked freezer in the unit that the renter had ran power to for all of these years. The manager cut first the power and then the lock, assuming that the renter had been storing frozen food in it. Upon opening it, he discovered the gruesome contents inside.

But rather than call the police, the manager removes the frozen corpse and dumps it at a nearby construction site. When Rick pressed him as to why he would do such a thing, the manager shrugged and replied that it was obvious that the renter had killed the woman and he knew that the man was dead. Kate was barely able to contain the contempt that she felt at the moment as the manager spoke so nonchalantly about the victim. Rick arrested the manager for obstruction of justice and abuse of a corpse. He'd let the DA decide what other charges were warranted.

They returned to the station and started looking over the files from the original investigation. The manager's logic that the husband was responsible for his wife's death made sense, but left a lot of unanswered questions. One thing that Rodgers was sure of - someone had to help the husband.

A check of the storage facility's records revealed that whomever had been making the payments for the unit after the husband's death had done so with cash, leaving them with another dead end. The previous files indicated that the husband's best friend had been interviewed at the time of victim's disappearance. He seemed to corroborate the husband's story. Exactly. As if they had rehearsed it.

The drive to the best friend's place of employment was spent in silence. Rick could see how this case had effected his partner and was unsure how to approach her about it. Kate was silent as he interviewed the best friend and listened as he repeated almost verbatim, what he had told the police five years earlier. He feigned surprise when Rick talked about the storage unit and the freezer containing the victim inside.

"Pulling off something like this would be impossible for a single person to do..." Rick speaks calmly as if he's simply thinking out loud. "Not the type of thing that you could ask just anyone to help with... No, only someone you trust..."

"Like your best friend." Kate finishes his thought for him, causing them both to smile at how in sync they were about this. "The trucks that this business uses for deliveries can easily hold something the size of a freezer..."

"You know, I'd bet that if your friend's apartment building is anything like mine, the doorman will have some record of a delivery as large as a freezer." Rick adds.

"Why don't you go ahead and admit that you were the one that was only helping his friend out? It would save us a lot of leg work and possibly allow us to put in a good word with the DA." Kate suggests.

Sensing the inevitable, the man seems to sag in defeat. "I had nothing to do with her death. You gotta believe me... I was only helping out my friend. He told me it was an accident and the kids would lose both of their parents if I didn't help him."

Rick pulls his cuffs from his jacket pocket. "Charles Wyler, you are under arrest as an accessory in the murder of Melanie Cavanagh. You have the right to remain silent..."

They brought Wyler back to the precinct where he decided to come clean about his assistance in covering up the death of Melanie in exchange for a promise from Rick that he would tell the DA about his assistance in closing the case. While Kate was pleased that they were finally able to provide some closure for the victim's family, Rick was not as pleased.

"We need to go back to New Rochelle and let the Davidson's know what happened to their daughter." Rick remarks quietly and rises up from his desk. Beckett could sense that something was wrong. The normal feeling of satisfaction at solving a case wasn't there. Kate felt it also, but she was sure the reason why was different with her. She'd often wondered how she would feel if she discovered that her mother's killer was dead. Would she feel some sense of closure?

They spent the entire drive to the Davidson home listening to the Yankee game on the radio. Both seemed to wrapped up in their own thoughts. The victim's two children were playing in the front yard when they arrived. Ben Davidson, Melanie's father was in the garage tinkering with his car as they pulled into the driveway. Kate decided to stay outside with the children as Rick follows Ben into the house.

Mrs Davidson offers Rick a glass of tea as the three set down in the kitchen. He then explains what happened to their daughter five years ago. The mother's expression changed from shock, to anger, and finally acceptance as Rodgers tells them what they have found out. He assured her that Wyler will be punished for his role in the coverup.

Rick was a good poker player and could see another's 'tells' quickly. He thought that was why he was so successful in the interrogation room. While the mother's emotions seemed to run the gamut as he explained the case, Ben remained stoic, as if he already knew the truth. Rick glances at his watch and comments that it was getting late and he and his partner needed to return to the city. He asks Ben to walk out with him as they leave Mrs Davidson in the kitchen.

They were nearly to the front door when Rick speaks. "You knew that your son in law killed your daughter. Didn't you?"

Ben says nothing at first, but then replies. "Thank you for solving Melanie's murder." He then opens the door, waiting for Rick to exit.

The two men stand on the poach and watch as Kate plays with the two children. "I know that you killed him." Rick remarks as if it was a given. "And if l find the evidence to prove it, I will be back."

"I know you will." Davidson replies emotionlessly as he walks to where his grandchildren are.

Rick walks to the car and Kate follows without a word. She can see that whatever was troubling her partner earlier had yet to be resolved. They were in the car for several minutes before he breaks the silence. "You know he killed him..."

"Who?"

"His son in law. He as good as admitted it to me. I understand his frustration. The system failed him... We failed him."

"So what are you going to do?"

"With nothing but circumstantial evidence to go with, I honestly don't know... I can't imagine what I would do if it were my daughter." Rick replies, his body shudders as he fights the thought. He rakes his fingers through his hair and sighs. "I'll speak to the detectives assigned to the original case and let them decide what to do."

Rick's comments causes Kate to consider what she would do if she knew who killed her mother. Would she seek justice the same way that Ben did? Or even worse, if they captured her killer and he was able to plead down to a lesser charge?

"I understand better than you know. It's been three and a half years since my mother's death... There hasn't been a single lead... anything to point to who was responsible. If I knew who was responsible..." Kate sighs as if she is realizing a basic truth.

Rodgers was taken back by the sincerity of his partner as she spoke. This was the first time she had ever mentioned anything about her mother's murder. He had read what little there was about it in her personnel records and decided to not speak about it unless she spoke first. Rick knew that Raglan and McCallister were just like the sheriff that they met on this case - quick to accept whatever circumstantial evidence was available as fact. They were lazy and if the rumors were true, corrupt. He hated cops like them as they brought shame to them all.

McCallister retired a few months ago and Raglan was rumored to be leaving the force also. Rick decided to take a look at Johanna Beckett's case and see if there was something that the two detectives had missed. He didn't know why, but he felt he owed it to his partner. He'd seen how the shoddy work of his fellow detectives effected her. Rick could see the sadness in her eyes as she talked about it as if the wound was still fresh. He'd read her personnel file. She shouldn't be here and wouldn't be if it wasn't for her mother's death. Besides, Rick felt that he owed her for inspiring him to write again.

It took a couple of calls to an old friend in records, but he had Johanna's file in a few days. Taking it home with him, he studied it at night after work. Initial inspection revealed nothing out of the ordinary. The report and the evidence seemed to support their theory that it was nothing more than an act of gang violence. That she was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. 'But why was she there? Why was a respected lawyer in a place like that?' Rick wondered. 'Unless she was meeting someone...'

Rick was sure that she was there because of a case she was working on at the time. The records seemed to be unable to come up with any reason for her being where she was at the time of her death. A review of the Medical Examiner's report revealed nothing. He knew the M E that worked the case. He, like the two detectives working the case had a reputation for laziness, doing no more than the absolute minimum to get by. He had met one of the best forensic pathologists in the country years ago when he was a struggling writer doing research for his second novel. Rick knew his services would not come cheap, but he felt he owed it to Kate.

Rick and Kate continued to work cases together over the next several weeks and she seemed to open up little by little with each passing day. His morning coffee ritual had grown to the drink and a pastry. He discovered her affection for bear-claws by accident when he brought in pastries for the team to celebrate a particularly tough case they solved. He saw her delighted smile and wanted to see it as often as possible. She was a mystery that he was sure he'd never solve, but Richard Rodgers loved the challenge. Kate Beckett was worth the effort.

The next case would change everything. Rick and his team were called in to assist the FBI in a child abduction case. The lead agent was William Sorensen. The Captain informs Rick that he had been requested specifically by Sorensen although he had no idea why. Rodgers did - Will had been a freshman at the same prep school that Rick attended as a senior. Rick formed an immediate dislike with Sorensen then and was sure that this was his attempt at rubbing his status as a lead agent in the detective's face. He'd dealt with 'Feds' before, but there was something about Sorensen that really irked him. While the agent treated Ryan, Espo, and himself with equal disdain, he had no qualms about openly flirting with Beckett. What pissed him off was the fact that she seemed to enjoy the attention.

Rick became more vocal regarding his disagreements with Sorensen, resulting in a closed door meeting with Montgomery who ordered him to 'play nice' with the Feds. The investigation had gone nowhere and everyone was under pressure to make a quick closure. As a parent, he was surprised at just how calm the mother was overall. That's not to say that she didn't cry at the appropriate moments, or appear upset whenever she knew someone was watching, but something was off. Rick remained silent as every idea he offered way quickly shot down by Sorensen.

Then came the call from the kidnappers with the ransom demand. Rick thought it odd that the ransom was equal to the entire amount of savings that the couple had. He was sure that whomever kidnapped the little girl knew the family. Sorensen didn't agree and Kate was chosen to make the drop. The kidnappers specified the time, location and the exact type of bag to be used. Following protocols, the serial numbers of the money was recorded and a tracking device was sewn into the lining of the bag.

The drop off point was a busy train station and the FBI along with the NYPD had people scattered about the station to see who picks up the the bag. Kate enters the station at the prescribed time carrying the backpack. She hesitates upon entering seeing that the majority of the people inside were carrying the exact same backpack. Apparently it was the same design as the one used by the local high school that had just ended classes for the day. She makes the drop in the location outlined in the demands and falls back into a position to observe.

A minute or so passes with no one approaching the backpack. The already crowded station then fills with students all wearing identical backpacks moving in every direction. Kate was able to slip into a spot where she was still able to keep an eye on the backpack. That was until a fight broke out between two teens which drew a huge crowd of onlookers. While Kate would have normally moved in to break up the melee, she couldn't risk exposing herself to the kidnappers. Less than a minute later the station's security police move in and breakup the fight as the crowd of onlookers scatter. Kate looks at the backpack which remains where she had placed it, untouched.

She waits from her vantage point for several more minutes as the station clears. One of the station cops notices the unattended bag resting near the trash can and cautiously approaches, while calling in what he thought may be a bomb or other device. The aftershocks of 911 were still very real with all New Yorkers. Kate watched as the station cop kept an eye out for any suspicious people nearby as he waited for the bomb squad. She emerges from her vantage point and flashes her badge, telling the cop to cancel the bomb threat. She closes the distance to the backpack and picks it up, then opening it to verify that the ransom money was still inside.

Instead of the money, the bag was filled with a phone book and crumpled newspaper. Shocked, Kate immediately radios in that somehow the backpack had been switched. Within seconds the station fills with both FBI and NYPD personnel. A review of the various surveillance feeds revealed nothing. With nothing to go with, all they could hope for was that the kidnappers would return the little girl.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:**

Kate felt as if she had let everyone down in spite of the fact that there were two other agents in the station also assigned to keep an eye on the backpack. Rick tries to assure his partner that she had done nothing wrong, that the kidnappers had done their homework. He could tell that this case was personal to her, although he had idea as to why.

Sorensen however, didn't see things as Rick did. To him, it was Beckett's fault and he made it known in the followup briefing to a room full of people. Rodgers tries to control the anger he felt for the pompous agent as he was sure that the blame for their failure was laid squarely at the feet of the NYPD, Kate Beckett specifically. Rick looks across the table at his partner and can see that the guilt she was already feeling was only amplified by dressing down she was receiving from Sorensen.

The briefing ends with nothing they could do but sit and hope for a return of the child. The others leave the room as Sorensen looks through some documents. Rick waits by the door for the others to exit, trying to control the rage he felt at this moment. He closes the door and returns to the table, taking a seat directly across from the FBI agent.

Will looks up from his paperwork, giving Rick a suspicious look. "Ah, Detective Rodgers, I expected you would have something to say..."

Rick gives the agent a predatory look and speaks in a near growl. "Only one thing, Agent Sorensen... If you have something to say to my partner, you do it in private..."

Will looks up from his paperwork, somewhat surprised by the menacing tone in Rick's voice. "Or what detective?" He gives Rick a smug smile, sure that the detective wouldn't have the balls to threaten him.

Rodgers rises to his feet and leans across the table. "You don't want to find out."

Sorenson's smirk blossoms into a full blown smile. "Are you threatening me detective? Maybe your Captain would like to know about this lack of professionalism by his lead detective."

Now it was Rick's turn to smile. "Do what you gotta do agent... but it doesn't change what I said. If you screw with any of my detectives, you screw with me." Rick practically growling as he spoke. He straightens up and calmly walks to the door, stopping there and turning to face Will. "Oh, one more thing... I'm sure that Deputy Director Samuels would be very interested in hearing about the lack of professionalism by his lead agent." 'Two could play that game', Rick thought as he smiles and exits the room.

He returns to the bullpen where his three detectives were busy at their desks. Kate looks up from her paperwork and watches as Rick takes a seat at his desk. Beckett watches as her partner appears to be reading some document and making notes on a yellow legal pad. He continues with his work for several minutes and finally looks across his desk to his partner who had continued to sneak glances at him. "Yes Beckett, is there something you want to ask?"

Embarrassed that she had been caught, all she could do was softly inquire. "What did you and Agent Sorensen talk about?"

"I explained that there was a proper time and place if he felt the need to critique the performance of any of my detectives."

Kate's defenses immediately went on alert. The last thing she wanted was her partner defending her, especially with a 'tool' like Sorensen being involved. She was ashamed that she hadn't seen his initial flirting with her as nothing more than an effort to gain control over her. Regaining her composure, she calmly replies. "You didn't have to defend me. I can handle an ass like Sorensen."

Rick gives her a small smile and calmly replies. "You're my partner. When he tries to blame you, he's trying to blame the NYPD for his own ineptness. And I can't allow that."

Rodgers returns his attention to some of the crime scene photos. He pulls out a magnifying glass from his desk drawer to look at something and frowns. Rising to his feet, he looks across to where Beckett is seated. "Let's go. I need to speak to the parents again." Rodgers slips on his sport coat and is halfway to the elevator before Kate realizes that he was talking to her.

She quickly rises to her feet and is putting on her jacket as she tries to close the gap between the two of them. They were in the cruiser and making their way through the busy traffic when Kate finally breaks the silence. "So what are you thinking partner?"

"Dolls. When Alexis was the age of the victim, she had a favorite toy that she wouldn't go anywhere without. The father said that he sat the toy on the table beside her bed and that she was sound asleep when he went to his studio. The crime scene photos show that the doll was missing..."

"You think that the kidnappers knew the family?" Kate inquires, unable to fathom the thought of something happening to her son as he was the same age as the girl. She also understood just how attached a child could become to a single toy. For Nathan, it was a stuffed dinosaur. He kept the toy with him constantly, only relinquishing it when it was being washed, or he was.

"Worse." He replies as a grim look appears on his face. He couldn't imagine the thought of one parent doing such a thing to an innocent child. He'd read the financial records, the father had no real income from his artistic efforts while the mother was quite successful professionally. There were rumors of infidelity on the father's part and that the mother had mentioned divorce to one of her coworkers.

"You think that one of the parents is behind this? Which one? The father?" Beckett inquires.

Rodgers shakes his head in response.

Theresa and Alfred Candela, Angela's parents, were waiting with the FBI techs, still expecting a call from the kidnappers when they arrived. They escorted the couple to the living room to talk. Rick watches the two as Kate explained what happened at the ransom drop and then apologizing. While Alfred looked grief stricken at the news, Theresa's was emotionless, almost as if this was what she expected. The father then asks what was next as Beckett tells him that they will continue to pursue the case with all of the resources of the FBI and the NYPD. That they would bring back their little girl.

Rick continued to sit there silent, watching the reactions of the parents as his partner spoke to them. There was a brief moment of quiet before he pulls out a couple of the crime scene photos from his pocket.

"You know, when my daughter was Angela's age, she had a toy that never left her side... She slept with it and ate with it. Hell, I had to sit it by the tub so she'd take a bath..." Rodgers speaks fondly offering a sincere smile at the memory.

"Yeah, Angela had her favorite doll. It was nearly as big as her and I always sat it on the nightstand as she slept. I told her that her doll would keep an eye on her as she slept. Keep her safe." Alfred offers before becoming emotional at the thought.

Rick then turns to Theresa. "How long have you known about your husband's affair with the babysitter? We know that you contacted a lawyer weeks ago. Did he tell you that you'd lose half of everything that you'd worked so hard to obtain? Did he tell you that there was a very good chance that he'd be granted joint custody of Angela?"

Theresa's face morphs from surprise, to shock, finally hardening in a grim frown as Rodgers speaks. "You know nothing. For the last seven years I've worked and sacrificed to get us where we are. I kept hoping that one day he..." She gestures towards her husband. "Would realize that he is not an artist and grow up. But I remained silent, waiting and hoping. He contributed nothing. I had to hire a babysitter as he was too busy with his work. And while I'm working those late nights and weekends trying to provide for us, what's he doing? Screwing the babysitter? "

She pauses for a moment, trying to take a calming breath. "And then my attorney informs me that the cheating bastard is entitled to half of everything... including MY daughter? No, I couldn't let that happen."

"Where is Angela?" Kate inquires in a calming, no judgmental tone of voice.

"Somewhere safe... and away from him." Theresa calmly replies as she glares at her stunned husband.

"Tell us where. Please?" Beckett reassuringly inquires. "We need to know that she's safe and then this will all be over."

Rick watches in silence marveling at his partner's ability to empathize with the suspect to get her confession. He'd let her take the lead until it was time to make the arrest. Theresa would be more inclined to speak to Kate that way and he would be the bad guy.

"My sister. She's with my sister." Theresa replies and seems to deflate in defeat as she stares blankly at the wall.

Rodgers pulls his phone from his pocket and dials the precinct. There's a few seconds of silence before he speaks. "Espo, it's me. Yeah, send a team to Theresa Candela's sister's house... Yeah little Angela's there. Oh, and Javi, if that asshat Sorensen is there, you might want to let him know that we solved the case." There was an extended silence as Rick was listening to something that Espo was saying to him. He chuckles before speaking. "Yeah, you can tell him that... because he is an asshat. Call me when you have the girl. Later Javi." Rick end the call, shoving his phone in his pocket.

He rises to his feet while pulling his handcuffs from his pocket. "Theresa Candela, you are under arrest for the kidnapping of Angela Candela. You have the right to remain silent. Anything that you say can be used against you in a court of law..."

"You can't charge me with kidnapping! She's my daughter." Theresa exclaims as she rises to her feet. Her husband can only stare at her in a stunned silence as Rick places the cuffs on the woman.

They sit there waiting for what felt like hours, but was only about fifteen minutes before Rick's phone rings. It was Espo confirming that they had the child and that she was safe. This was the same time that Sorensen and a team of agents enter the room. He shoves his phone into his pocket and smiles as he sees the agent enter the room.

"Ah, Agent Sorensen. So good to see you. Little Angela is safe. Theresa was the one who masterminded this whole charade. I placed her under arrest, but I'm sure that the FBI will want her." Rick smiles as he walks past Will, his partner following behind him. Sorensen can only glare at him as they leave the Candela home.

They climb back into the cruiser and are on their way back to the precinct, Rick smiling like a Cheshire Cat. Kate looks across the seat at her grinning partner. "How did you know?" She asks her partner.

"I wasn't sure until the father confirmed that her doll was too big to sleep with and was sitting on the nightstand. The photos showed several dolls sitting there. How would the kidnappers know which one to take?"

"Unless they knew the victim." Kate finishes the thought for him causing them both to smile.

"When Alexis was that age, there was no way she would go anywhere without her bunky bunny." Rick smiles at the fond memory of his little girl.

"I know what you mean. Nathan won't go anywhere without Rex, his dinosaur." Kate replies, the words escaping before she realizes what she is saying. A look of panic appears on her face as she looks across the seat at her partner.

Rick's expression changes from surprise to genuinely touched at her faux pas. "How old is your son?" He inquires.

"He'll be three next week. How did you know he was my son?" Kate responds.

"The look of absolute love on your face as you spoke about him. The look of mother who loves her child." The smile on his face fades as he thinks about his own child. "Something my own daughter never saw from hers."

Kate nodded her head in understanding. She thought about what it would be like for her son, never knowing his father. Right now he was still too young to understand, but soon he will ask the question that she has no idea how to answer.

"I have the most wonderful daughter in the world and her mother couldn't care less..." He pauses for a moment to regain his composure. "I never knew who my father was..."

Kate was stunned at the revelation that her partner had grown up not knowing who his father was. While it was obvious that he had grown into a fine adult, she could see the hurt that he tried to mask. She worried if her son would feel the same way as he grew. "Your mother never told you about him?"

Rick offers her a sad smile. "No. All she ever said was she was a young actress and met him at a bar one night after her play. They were only together one night..."

Beckett was surprised to hear that her partner was the product of a one night stand. Even she had dated Nathan's father a few weeks before they had sex. She then asked the question that she dreaded hearing the answer to. "Did you ever wonder about him?"

"Not so much when I was younger. It wasn't until I was at one of the many prep schools that I was kicked out of that the fact I was the illegitimate son of Martha Rodgers became a source of amusement to my fellow classmates." He looks across the seat and sees the sad look on his partner's face, realizing that her child's father must not be involved in the boy's life. He reaches across the seat and takes her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Those were different times then. There was still quite a stigma back then... it was the seventies. I never blamed my mother... in fact, I think it made us closer."

Beckett returns the squeeze of her hand with one of her own. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For trusting me enough to tell me about your childhood." Kate replies.

"I should be the one thanking you for trusting me enough to tell me about your son."

Kate offers him a warm smile and replies. "Always."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten:**

 **December 2002:**

Several months have passed since the confession after the Candela case. Confessing her secret to her partner had been liberating and she began to proudly display her son's picture on her desk with other mementos. It became easier for her professionally also, as now she didn't have to bother making up stories when she needed time off to attend to Nathan's needs. Rick understood the rigors of being a single parent and was always accommodating, even if they were in the middle of a tough case.

She had started a friendship with Lanie Parish. She liked the candidness of the medical examiner who always seemed to have an opinion on every subject, especially regarding her partner. While she would vehemently deny any romantic feelings towards Rick, Kate couldn't deny respect and admiration she felt for him. She knew that becoming 'involved' with her partner was a clear violation of NYPD regs. The type of thing that could harm both of their careers and she liked him too much for that.

Rick had contacted Dr Clark Murray, one of the best forensic pathologist's in the country with the autopsy of Johanna Beckett two months earlier. He had tried to contact the original M E who performed the autopsy, only to find out that he had passed away earlier this year. Murray's analysis of the data revealed that Johanna's death was the result of a single strategically placed stab wound. The wound and weapon were consistent with Special Forces operatives meaning that this was not an act of random gang violence as Raglan and McCallister had cited in their investigation. It was a professional hit.

Rodgers originally assumed that the quickly closed case was nothing more than an example of sloppy work performed by lazy cops. He assumed that the two detectives were guilty of nothing more than ineptitude. He asked Murray if there had been any murders in the area at that time conducted in a similar manner. He knew the additional work would not be cheap, but Rick felt that he owed his partner.

He struggled with the idea of revealing what he had learned from the doctor. _How would she react when she learns that I have been poking my nose into her mother's case? Would she resent me?_ Rick ponders as he rereads the report, finally deciding that until he has something substantial, it would be better to say nothing at all.

He had invited everyone on the homicide floor and their families to the annual Rodgers family Christmas party in the loft. While both Ryan and Espo responded immediately, Kate was hesitant to commit in spite of her partner's pleading. He had no idea why she would not want to attend unless it was because of him. His Christmas party had moved to near legendary status over the years because of the lavishness of it. Everyone assumed that the costs were footed by his mother.

Lanie was doing her part to help with Rick's cause. She was going to attend the party as Esposito's date and knew that her friend had feelings for Beckett. She'd known Rick for years and never seen him look at any woman the way he did Kate. She knew that the NYPD had rules against fraternization between coworkers, but thought that they could keep things on the 'down low' if they were smart about it.

Reluctantly, she gave in, deciding that she would bring Nathan with her as Rick had invited the children of all of the others. There would be a Santa there that would hand out toys to the children. In spite of how much she dreaded the holidays because of how they reminded her of the time before her mother's murder, both she and Jim forced themselves to put on a happy face for the boy.

Not wanting those who had to work the night of the party to miss out, Rodgers arranged for caterers to bring in a holiday buffet. There was always extra food and nearly anyone else at the precinct would share in the feast.

Martha served as the official greeter, while Rick worked the room, making sure that the guests were looked after with food and drink. The entire loft was decorated for the holiday like a display window at Macy's and the children that attended were greeted by a Santa who gave each child a present. Alexis was busy playing with Roy Montgomery's two daughters who were near her age.

Kate and Nathan arrived a little late, still unsure if she wanted to come. As she entered the loft, nothing could have prepared her for the what she saw. Martha greets her with a hug and a kiss on the cheek, thanking her for coming and telling her just how much Rick was looking forward to seeing her. Kate offers the small gift she had purchased a few days earlier and the elder Rodgers accepts graciously.

Rick had been anxiously keeping one eye on the door as he worked the crowd, hoping that she would come. Part of him doubted if she would. When he saw her speaking with his mother at the door, he politely excused himself from the patrolman and his wife that he had been speaking to and nearly ran to the door.

As Martha was helping her remove her coat he arrives, excited and unable to contain his happiness. "Beckett! I'm so glad you could make it." He drops down on one knee, still above eye level with the child and extends his hand. "And you must be Nathan. My name is Rick and I work with your mommy."

The child extends his hand and gives it a shake, making Kate smile. Rick points to the huge tree near the piano "Would you like to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what you want for Christmas?"

The boy's face breaks into a huge smile and he looks up Kate questioningly. "Can I mommy?"

"Sure you can." The words are barely out of her mouth before he runs to the large chair where the Santa is seated, surrounded by other children. She has to smile at the look of pure delight on her son's face.

There's an awkward silence that follows as both struggle to come up with something to say. Kate was awestruck by the transformation of the loft into a winter wonderland, while Rick was rendered speechless by the vision of beauty standing before him. He had never seen his partner in a dress before and she was even lovelier than he dreamed. Not that he'd ever admit to anyone that he dreamed about her.

"You have a beautiful home." Kate offers in an attempt to break the silence."

"Thank you, but it's mother's place. I merely am a tenant." Rick quickly replies, so used to telling the lie that it honestly felt like the truth."

"Well thank Martha then."

"I will... Would you like a drink? There's a buffet in the dining room if you're hungry." Rick inquires, cursing himself for sounding like a teen on his first date.

Kate offers him a shy smile in return. "I'd like that. Lead the way."

The two walk side by side to the kitchen where the breakfast bar was serving as a real bar. Kate placed her order with the bartender as Rick did the same. The two took their drinks and walked to where the children were all gathered around the Santa, waiting their turn. Little Nathan was being hoisted up on his lap by one of his 'elves' and Kate couldn't resist, taking her phone to capture the moment.

Rick watches in silence at the evidence of the absolute devotion shown by his partner at this moment for her son. She was so caught up in the moment that she nearly forgot who she was with. Satisfied with her effort, she closes her phone, returning it to her purse. She then turns to look at her her partner with a huge grin on his face,

She arches her eyebrow and gives him a mock glare. "What?"

"Nothing Detective." Rick replies, his smile growing even larger. "It's nice to see that I'm not the only one that can be mesmerized by their child. And you have a beautiful child."

Expecting some sort of smart remark, she was touched by his sincerity and has to smile. "Thank you. He's my world. I guess that's why I've always been a little overprotective."

Rick gently touches her elbow. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. I was probably worse when Alexis was that age..."

She didn't understand why, but between his gentle touch and the sincerity as he spoke causes her to relax - just a little. She looks around the room and remarks. "Speaking of your daughter... Where is she?"

Rick can only chuckle and replies. "Probably up in her room with Roy's daughters and Karposki's girl... They're all about the same age and I'm sure they think that they're too cool for Santa..."

Kate has to smile at the thought of when she realized that Santa was really Jim and Johanna. She wondered how long she'd be able to keep the illusion intact with Nathan, especially after seeing the look on his face while sitting on Santa's lap.

"How old were you?" Rick inquires, pulling her from her thoughts.

"What?"

"How old were you when you stopped believing in Santa?" Rick counters.

"Six. How old were you?" She returns her own question.

Rick can only smile. "Who says that I stopped?" This causes his partner to give him on of her patented eye rolls and a shake of her head. Normally, she saved them for when he offered one of his outrageous theories on a case they were working. As much as she'd hate to admit it, they occasionally caused them to look at things differently and solve their case.

The room was filled with noise from the others talking and the sound of the piano playing Christmas carols. The silence between the two of them was broken by the squeal of one Lanie Parish, her date in tow.

Lanie hugged Kate and commented about her dress. "You look stunning in that dress. Doesn't she Rick?"

Both Kate and Rick turn several shades of crimson before he speaks. "Stunning doesn't do you justice... Mesmerizing. Breath taking. Those are the words that I would use."

"Yeah, you clean up nice Beckett." Espo adds as he puts his arm around Lanie's waist. He then turns to look at Rodgers, who was still blushing from his forced confession. "Your mother sure know how to throw a party."

Grateful for the change of subject, Rick quickly replies. "I'll tell her you said so." He looks around the room and inquires. "Did Ryan make it?"

Espo can only grin and point towards a corner behind the tree. Rick has to laugh seeing Kevin whispering in the ear of the petite blonde as she giggles.

"Who'd have thunk that my partner was such a ladies man?" Espo chuckles as they watch Ryan sneaking a kiss from the smiling young woman. His comment causes everyone to laugh.

"It's always the quiet ones..." Rick comments.

"And how would you know Rick? You're anything but quiet." Lanie teases.

Rick was about to return his own smart remark when Roy and his wife walks up to them. He smiles as he greets his detectives, extending his hand. "I'm glad to see that you all could make the party. Especially you Beckett."

Embarrassed, she gives him a glare which only causes him to laugh. "Careful there, for a moment you actually looked like you were having a good time. I must say that you look very nice. Doesn't she Rick?"

"She looks very nice." Rick quickly responds, embarrassed that he has been forced to admit just how beautiful his partner was in front of others twice before he had a chance to say so when they were alone. Wanting to change the subject, he closes the distance between his Captain's wife and extends his hand. "Richard Rodgers. And you are?"

The woman smiles and it's now Montgomery's turn to look embarrassed the others standing there smile. "Where are my manners? I'd like you meet my wife Evelyn." He then turns to face his wife. "And honey, this is Katherine Beckett, Javier Esposito and Lanie Parish." He then looks at Rick with a frown. "Mr Rodgers has already decided to introduce himself before l had the chance..."

Rick can only grin at his Captain's stern look. "It's a pleasure to meet you Evelyn. I hope that you're having a good time."

"Yes I am. Its nice to be able to bring the girls with us. Your daughter is wonderful." She responds with a sincere smile. "Roy tells me that this is an annual event?"

"Yes, since I moved back with mother, I try to show my appreciation for my coworkers." He turns and gestures to where his mother is standing amongst a group of partygoers, probably regaling them with some story from her past. "Mother loves the idea of meeting the people that I work with."

The group makes small talk, keeping the subjects to anything but police work, which was difficult considering the group present. The Montgomeriys move on to talk with others in the room with Kevin and his date taking their place. Both Lanie and Javi can't resist razzing their coworker as his date, Jenny O'Malley tries to keep from laughing at him for his embarrassment.

Kate politely excused herself to go watch her son playing with the other children. Lanie asks Espo to get her a drink at the bar and Ryan follows, along with his date. The M E stands with Rick as he stares at his partner and her interaction with her little boy. Lanie can't help but smile watching him, watching Kate.

"You've got it bad for our girl, don't you?"

"What are you talking about?" Rick quickly replies as his face turns a brilliant shade of red. "She's my partner. And my friend."

Lanie laughs at his weak defense. "Oh yeah. You've got it bad... Does she know?"

Rick shakes his head and sighs. "I don't think so. Besides it can't happen. We're partners and I'd never jeopardize her career by getting her involved in something that violates the regs... Besides, I don't think that she'd be interested in me that way."

"How do you know?" Lanie questions.

"Look at her." He gestures to where she is standing near the tree, talking to couple. "She's out of my league. She looks like a runway model. And I'm too old for her..."

A look of surprise appears on Lanie's face. "You don't really believe that do you? Do you know what the females in the twelfth call you? The white whale. Maybe Beckett is your Captain Ahab." She chuckles.

Rick frowns at the mental image of being harpooned by his partner. "If you remember they don't have a happy ending."

Lanie starts to offer a rebuttal just as Espo returns with her drink."What were you guys talking about? Judging by the by your red face Rodgers, it must have been about Beckett." Javi offers with a smirk. "You think that I haven't seen the way you get all moon pie eyed over your partner. Hell, even Ryan figured it out."

Unable to offer anything in his defense, Rick tries to change the subject. "So, you and Dr Parish having a good time nosing into my personal life, detective?" The glare he gives Esposito lets the man know that the subject is closed in no uncertain terms.

Lanie, on the other hand, wasn't intimidated in the slightest. "Fine. Do nothing _detective,_ and some other man will come along and sweep her off her feet." She turns to face Espo, taking his hand in hers. "Come on Javi, let Ricky sulk in peace." Seconds later the two walk to where Kate is standing.

"Hey Chica, having fun?" Espo inquires as they approached. The three stand there looking over to where Rick is standing, talking to one of the single female uniformed officers who were in attendance.

Jessica Swift was a fresh faced twenty three year old who had graduated from the academy last year. She had listened to the other females in the precinct talk about the white whale longingly and thought that she may have the tools to reel him in. She was a few inches shorter than Kate, with long blond hair and crystal blue eyes. While Beckett may have her beat in the height department, Jessica certainly won hands down in the bust category.

The three watched as the young woman was trying hard to solicit his attention. Lanie looks at Kate as she watches the scene across the room. The ME smiles as she sees Beckett start to tense, just a little. Seizing the opportunity, she comments offhandedly. "She's wasting her time... He's gaga for another woman. Tall, about five-ten, with long brown hair and hazel eyes... sound like anyone you know?"

Kate was gobsmacked by her friend's comment. She had to admit that she thought of Rick as more than a partner, but was afraid for too many reasons to count. She remembered her disastrous attempt with Mike Royce - how hurt and ashamed she felt after his rejection. She had to look out for her son. He was the most important thing in her life.. She was just learning the ropes as a detective. There was no time for relationships.

She knew that Rick had feelings for her, but kept them hidden through innuendo and witty remarks. She had to admit that working with him had made a difficult job easier to do. But she also knew what would happen to them if anything did happen between them.

"You're out of your mind Lanie. Rick and I are partners - professionally, nothing more." Beckett replies with an internal cringe at how lame she sounded.

Both Javi and Lanie grin at her weak response. "So you're not interested in him? That's a damn shame girlfriend... Someone's going to come along and take him off the market. Guys that good looking don't last long. Im amazed that he's lasted this long."

While Rick tries to be polite to the blonde speaking to him, he continuously sneaks glances across the room where Lanie and Javi were standing with Kate. He could tell that he was the subject of their conversation and given what he had confessed to the medical examiner and part time yenta, could only imagine what was being said.

Politely excusing himself from the visibly disappointed blond, he walks to where the others were standing. "Talking about me huh?" Rick greets the three with and the lack of eye contact from Espo and Beckett confirms.

"My don't we have an overly inflated ego?" Lanie replies with a smirk. "If you must know, we were debating if your ears are abnormally large. That's why we were staring at you."

Rick's confidence falters for a moment, considering that this may be the case, but then the snickering of the three at the look on his face causes him to frown. "Ha, ha, very funny. I can't do anything to you Doctor, but I can see an inordinate amount of paperwork in the immediate future of a couple of detectives..." At first, both Javi and Kate look at him in surprise at his apparent vindictiveness, which causes him to laugh. "Got ya. Besides, you know what they say about a guy with big ears?"

"No, what Ricky?" Lanie asks, having to know.

"Big ear muffs." He replies with a laugh as the ME's face reddens and she punches him in the arm.

Lanie looks above her head and can't contain a small squeal. Kate looks at her friend as if she has suddenly lost her mind. "What's up with you?"

"Mistletoe, that's what." She points to the plant hanging directly above Beckett's head. "You know what you have to do."

Kate's face pales at the thought of kissing her partner, especially in front of everyone. Rick can see the fear in her eyes and assumes that she is disgusted by the thought of having to kiss him. He tries to quietly move away as the two women stare at each other.

He thought that he was going to be able to make his retreat when he feels Lanie's hand grabbing his wrist. "Just where do you think you are going?"

All Rick could do was give her a sheepish look like a child caught by his parents. "I, I wasn't going anywhere."

"Well get to it detective. There's a pretty woman waiting." Lanie chuckles at the shocked look on both Rick and Kate's faces.

Rodgers closes the distance between the two of them, looking into Kate's eyes. "Are you okay with this? I don't want to make you do something that you're uncomfortable with."

Kate purses her lips together and gives him a shy nod as a small crowd of partygoers begin a chant of ' _kiss the girl, kiss the girl'_.

The kiss brought a huge cheer from the crowd and was over far too soon for either of the participants. Both knew that here was something special about it. Something that they would remember forever.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven:**

 **January 2003:**

The holidays came and went. Her son was still talking about the fun he had at Rick's Christmas party. Kate had her own memories of that night, but for different reasons. Both she and her partner would not discuss the kiss that night. They both acted as if nothing had happened yet for different reasons. Kate was afraid of what could happen to her career if she allowed herself to become involved with her partner, while Rick was afraid that she didn't feel the same way for him.

Their normal working routine didn't change. Rick still brought Kate a cup of coffee every morning and a bear claw on those days he had time to stop for pastries. They seemed to grow more in sync with each passing day, often finishing each other's thoughts. Their case closure rate was the highest in the city and were often asked to consult on some of the more bizarre cases. The term used for these cases by the other detectives in the twelfth was 'Beckett flavored' as she seemed to delight in the odd ones.

The fourth anniversary of her mother's death came and went with no new leads. Rick took Kate to the cemetery that day and laid a small bouquet of flowers by Johanna's headstone. His sincere act touched Kate's heart and made her reconsider her decision regarding allowing a relationship to develop between the two of them.

Since the birth of Nathan, she had went out on a total of two dates. One was a young lawyer from Jim's firm that he was sure was 'right' for her. That one ended with an awkward goodnight kiss and a promise to call that neither planned to keep. The other was a rookie patrolman so sure of his sexual prowess that Kate would fall under his spell and into his bed on their first date. When she didn't he never called again.

The truth was she had no idea how an adult relationship worked. She was a carefree student when she was with Rogan. Her future and life was all ahead of her and he was nothing more than a pleasant distraction at the time. But that seemed like someone else's life now. Nary a day went by when she didn't wonder what Johanna would think about her ability as a parent and only now did she realize just what it takes. Her mother made it look so easy being a confident and caring parent, always knowing the right thing to say and do regardless of the situation.

She thought about Rick and his situation with his daughter. How it was a mirror image of her own and wondered if he had the same doubts and fears that she did...

He did.

Rick was sitting in his office reading some of the emails from his attorney and agent. The release date for the first Nikki Heat novel was approaching and they were sending him a case of the first edition to autograph. These would then be sent to some of the more reputable reviewers in advance of the release. Black Pawn wanted to take advantage of the renewed interest in his works. He wondered if Kate would like to have a copy and how he could get it to her without revealing that he was Richard Castle.

He hated the thought of lying to her, but he wasn't sure how she would react to the news. No one at the NYPD knew about this and he liked being judged by his peers solely for his efforts as a cop. His ego did not need stroking. His next fear was that Beckett would read the his novel, see the similarities and realize that she was the inspiration for Nikki Heat. While the story and character were vastly different, little mannerisms and quirks of Nikki's character were based upon Kate.

He knew that he had strong feelings for his partner. This kiss at the Christmas party only confirmed them. He was just as afraid of a relationship as Kate was. He'd fallen for a woman that chose her family and their fortune over him. Then fell for a woman on the rebound that had no interest in anything outside of her career. He was standing in a metaphorical batter's box with two strikes against him. His next love would be a hit or he would strike out and never know love.

That was the problem. All Richard Rodgers wanted was normal. The wife, kids, and house in the suburbs. Normal. Something he never had in his life. Martha tried. She loved him as much as any other mother and he would be forever grateful, but she didn't have to hear the taunts of he other children when they learned that he was a 'bastard'. She didn't lie awake at night wondering about a parent that only existed in his mind. Making up stories about him being a secret agent or some other exotic career that would keep him away.

He finished his correspondences and returned his attention to the outline for his next Nikki Heat novel. Rick was so sure that everyone would love her character as much as he did that he was preparing her next adventure. He wasn't as confident in his alter ego, Jameson Rook, the reporter in the story that tagged along with Nikki, eventually becoming a romantic interest.

Two weeks later, Rick presents Kate with a preliminary copy of the latest Richard Castle novel. He told her that Martha had a close relationship with the author and knew that Beckett was a fan - which was the truth. She was so happy to get a copy that she didn't question his story. He had given her an unsigned copy as he was sure that she would recognize his handwriting. She opens the book, turning to the dedication page. _**To K. B. for inspiring me to write again**_ was all it said and Kate didn't seem to notice the same initials as her own in the dedication. In fact, his first two novels were dedicated to someone with the initials K B. She thanked him and looked forward to reading it as soon as she put her son to bed. Maybe she could read it while enjoying a long bubble bath, a rare treat these days.

That evening, after putting Nathan to bed, she kept her promise to herself and prepared a steaming bubble bath. She pours herself a glass of white wine and settles into the tub, book by her side. She was hooked from the first page and barely noticed that the water had turned cold and her skin had started to prune. _'Whoever this Richard Castle is, he has to be a cop, or was one.'_ She thought to herself. There are too many little details that only a cop, or someone familiar with law enforcement would be aware of. Kate didn't think that the similarities between the novel and cases that she had worked was anything more than that - coincidence.

Pushing herself from the cold tub, Kate quickly dries off and dresses for bed. She glances at the alarm clock by the bed and sees that it is well past her bedtime. Knowing that she had to be up early, she fights the temptation to continue reading and sets the book on the nightstand before crawling into bed.

The next morning when she arrived at the precinct, she was a little surprised to see her partner already there her coffee and pastry sitting on her desk. They had a full day of mind numbing paperwork to look forward to and Rick normally tried to avoid it like the plague, coming in as late as he could. She greeted him as he appeared to be busy typing something on his keyboard. A few minutes pass before he breaks the silence. "Did you get a chance to read any of the book?"

"Yeah, I read nearly half of it last night." Kate replies.

"So what did you think?"

Beckett senses something off about the way he poses the question, as if he was afraid she wouldn't like it. Curiosity aroused now, she decides to give a noncommittal response. "It's too early to tell. But I like the way it's going..."

Rick seems to deflate a little at her first response, but then regained his composure. "Good. I'll tell mother that you liked it." He replies, afraid that she would spot the similarities between her and Nikki. He wasn't sure how Kate would react if she knew that she was the inspiration for the character. Especially if she read the love scene with Nikki and Rook near the end.

Espo and Ryan arrived a few minutes later and the four spent the day getting the reports requested by the DA ready for an upcoming case. The remainder of the day was spent doing paperwork and they were all anxiously awaiting the end of their shift when the call came in. The call that would change everything between Rodgers and his partner.

A body had been discovered in the victim's apartment when his blood had seeped through the floor and through the ceiling of the apartment below. Lanie was already at the scene by the time the two arrived. The victim had been stabbed multiple times and there was blood everywhere. A quick examination of the apartment reveals a cache of weapons of all types scattered throughout the rooms. Parish confirmed that the victim had been dead for several hours. Both Rick and Kate scanned the apartment and found no signs of a robbery, or a struggle.

"The victim knew his killer." They both utter at the exact same moment.

The ME looks up from the body and grins. "Aww, isn't that cute."

Both detective's faces flush crimson, causing Lanie to laugh at their embarrassment.

Kate tries, and fails to give her friend an annoyed look in response. By this time Ryan and Espo return from their search of the victim's bedroom, both grinning at Rodgers and Beckett. Rick gives the pair a stern look, which causes them both to grin even more. "What did you find?"

"Vic's name is Jack Coonan. Wallet and valuables are there in his room. Nothing looks to be disturbed." Kevin replies.

Rick frowns and responds. "You two canvas the neighbors and see if they saw or heard anything. Then check with super and see if there's any video."

The two men nod, knowing that they were going to be in for a long night and exit the room. Rick then turns to his partner. "We'll head back to the precinct and see if we can find a next of kin." Kate simply nods and the two leave the apartment.

Back at the twelfth, the two begin their search into Jack Coonan's history. They discover that both parents are deceased and his only living relative is a brother, Richard. A quick check on the brother reveals that he works with a charity that builds schools in war torn regions like Afghanistan. A similar check into the victim's past reveals a history of arrests for various crimes with no convictions. It was suspected that he was an enforcer for Finn Rourke, the Irish mobster.

They decided to meet with the brother and give him the bad news tonight then speak to Rourke the next day. Maybe they would get lucky and Ryan or Espo would find a witness or video of the killer. They arrived at Dick Coonan's home a few minutes after eight. Judging by the location and the furnishings the elder Coonan brother had done well for himself.

When learning of his brother's murder Coonan simply sighed in resignation. "I tried to warn him. He was associated with the type of people that thought nothing of killing each other... But he wouldn't listen."

"We're terribly sorry for your loss." Rick replies as he hands him a business card. "Please call me if you happen to think of anything that might help us in our investigation."

Coonan takes the proffered card and replies. "I will." There was an extended pause and then he inquires. "Did he suffer?"

"Yes." Kate bluntly replies.

"Thank you for telling me the truth." Coonan replies as the two exit his apartment.

"Doesn't appear to be to upset by his little brother's death does he?" Rodgers comments as the two get into the cruiser and head home for the night.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve:**

Both Rick and Kate arrived at the precinct at their normal starting time. He brought the usual coffee and bear claws for himself and his partner. Rodgers had told Espo and Ryan to come in late as they didn't leave the precinct until early this morning. The two detectives had been following up on a lead provided by the CI of a vice detective that Javi used to work with. The informant claimed that Jack Coonan was Rourke's problem solver and that a rival gang was trying to push heroin in his territory. Finn Rourke did not tolerate drugs on his streets and those who tried to cross him were dealt with harshly.

Beckett and Rodgers drank their coffee and discussed different ways they would try to approach the mobster. They knew that Finn saw all cops as the enemy, regardless of why and could only hope that he may let something slip that they could use. They were both nervous as they entered the Hells Kitchen bar that served as Rourke's 'office'.

Finn was seated in a large horseshoe shaped booth with a clear line of sight to the front door. On either side of him sat heavily armed bodyguards. There were additional protectors scattered throughout the bar. The two strode up to the booth with a lot more confidence than what either actually felt at the moment.

Rick held up his left hand in a non threatening manner as he reaches into his jacket with his right, producing his badge and credentials. "Richard Rodgers. And this is my partner, Detective Beckett. We're here to ask you about an employee of yours, Jack Coonan."

Rourke sneers at the two before speaking. "And why would the NYPD be asking me about someone I've never heard of?"

"Because he's dead. Someone stabbed him to death in his own apartment. There was no struggle and we think he knew his attacker." Kate responds drawing a look of surprise from the mobster.

"And you think that I had something to do with it?" Rourke inquires.

"No. But we think that you might know who did." Rick replies.

Rourke arches his eyebrow and glares at Rodgers. "Laddie, if I knew who did this to young Jack, you'd be the last person that I'd talk to." He gives both of the detectives a look that signals he is finished speaking with them.

Knowing that the mobster is done, Rick reaches into his pocket and lays a business card on the table. "If you happen to think of anything that may help us catch this guy..." They turn and walk out of the bar without a sound.

"Rourke had no idea Jack was dead." Rick comments as they get into the cruiser and head back to the precinct.

"Maybe Lanie has something for us by now." Kate replies. "Whoever killed him had to know him to get inside his apartment. He had weapons everywhere in his apartment and if his rap sheet is correct, was capable of defending himself."

Rick pulls out his phone and calls the precinct. "Hey Ryan, why don't you and Espo head over to Jack Coonan's place and go over everything again. I have a feeling that we missed something." Rodgers says something in response and ends the call.

They arrive at the precinct a few minutes later and head for the morgue in the basement. Lanie was in her office dictating her written notes into a tape recorder as they enter. Rick gently taps on the door frame as to not interrupt as she continues taking while gesturing for the two to enter.

She looks at the two detectives and smiles. "So what brings you two down here this morning?"

"What did you find out about the COD?" Rick replies.

"Actually, quite a bit." Lanie pushes herself out of her seat and starts to walk out of her office. Beckett and Rodgers get up from their seats and follow her into the exam room. She opens the door for the drawer where Jack's body is stored and slides it out. Lifting up the sheet that covered his body, the ME points to one of the many stab wounds on the victim's body.

"This was the killing wound. Notice the discoloration around it. The knife was forced in deeper than the actual blade length. I'm trying to reconstruct what the weapon may have looked like from this wound. These other wounds were for show, to draw away attention to the fact that our killer was a pro. He knew exactly where to stab him..." Lanie comments, matter of factly.

Kate looks at the body and frowns while Rick looks as if all of the blood has been drained from his face. Lanie notices this and knows that there's something else going on here that she'll find out about come hell or high water. Regaining his composure, he thanks her for the information and the two detectives leave the morgue.

Sensing that there was something wrong with her partner, Kate asks what happened in the morgue as they rode the elevator to their floor. Rick assures her that it was nothing. The way the vic was killed was similar to another case from years ago that remains unsolved. While he didn't lie to her, he couldn't tell her that the victim was her mother - at least not until he had the proof he needed.

They returned to their desks and started to check through the financial records for Jack. They had only been seated for a minute or two when Rodgers receives the call he knew was coming. He picks up the phone and responds. "Rodgers here."

"Alright Ricky, spill it. What had you looking like you saw a ghost?" Lanie inquires, genuinely concerned for her friend.

Rick looks at Kate's desk and can sense that she is listening to every word being said. "How bout I talk to you later?" He end the call before she can respond and can only hope that she won't call Beckett. He pretends to look at paperwork to kill a little time and notices that it's past noon.

Looking across his desk at his partner, he feigns a smile and comments. "I've got a couple of personal errands to run. They shouldn't take too long and I can swing by Remys on the way back and pick you up lunch. Is that ok?"

Beckett offers him a sincere smile that only makes him feel worse for lying to her and replies. "That would be great. Thank you."

"You want the usual?" Rick inquires.

"Yes, please."

"See you in an hour or so." He replies as he's up and out of the bullpen before he's finished speaking. He texted the ME to meet him in the lobby of the twelfth as he rode the elevator down.

Lanie had a nonplussed look on her face as she met him by the entrance to the precinct. "This better be good. I'm missing my lunch." She warns him with a glare. Her expression softens when she looks at Rick's face, seeing his look of uncertainty.

The cab ride to the loft was spent in near silence. Rick practiced over and again in his mind how he would reveal to her how he had went behind his partner's back looking into her mother's murder. They entered the loft and she followed him into his office.

He walked to the safe and opens it up, pulling out a manila folder. He gestures for her to take a seat on the sofa facing his desk as he hands the folder to her.

"What's this?" Lanie inquires as she opens the proffered folder. She carefully examines the contents as her face changes from curiosity to shock. A few moments pass as she reads the documents. She sighs and closes the folder and then looks at Rodgers. "My god Rick! Do you realize that there's a good chance the same man who killed Kate's mother killed Coonan?"

All he could do was nod his head, unwilling to make eye contact.

"Does Beckett know about this?" Lanie asks, already suspecting the answer.

"No."

"You're afraid that when she finds out, she'll think you betrayed her?"

Once again, all Rick can do is nod his head.

Lanie could see the mixture of emotions on Rodgers' face as he admits to what he has done. She knew that he did it because he cared for his partner and only wanted to give her closure. But she also knew Beckett well enough to know how closely guarded her personal life, especially anything that had to do with her mother's death.

"So what are you gong to do Rick?"

"I have to tell her the truth. She deserves to know." Rick solemnly replies.

"Even if she never forgives you?" Dr Parish inquires as all he can do is nod in response. "Why don't you bring her down to the morgue later and we'll do it together?"

The cab ride back to the precinct was interrupted with a quick stop at Remys for the lunch he had promised Kate. Lanie ordered the same lunch as Beckett except for the chocolate shake. Rick decided top forgo his usual as he didn't have much of an appetite. Kate was busy at her desk when he returned, lunch in hand. She gave him a warm smile and thanked him for the meal, which only made him feel worse about what he had to tell her.

Ryan and Espo returned a few minutes later after another close inspection of Jack Coonan's apartment. Both men were carrying a medium size box and grinning.

Rodgers sees the grins and inquires. "I take it from the smiles that you found something?"

"Sure did." Espo replies, as they sit the boxes on Rick's desk.

Rodgers looks into the box and inquires. "Why would anyone have two cases of Johnny Vong's How to Get Rich in Real Estate?"

"Exactly." Ryan replies.

"Who's Johnny Vong?" Beckett inquires, puzzled by their pleased looks.

"He's the guy on TV at three in the morning hawking his program for how to get rich quick in real estate. Don't tell me you've never seen it?" Esposito replies. "When we searched Coonan's place again, Ryan found a storage locker key under the sofa where the body was found. I recognized it as the type used at Grand Central Station."

Ryan takes over the storytelling. "We go to the station and open up the locker and find these inside." He then pulls out one of the DVD's and shows them a small packet of what looks like heroin inside. "My bet is that they smuggle the stuff into the country in these DVDs and then someone here removes the drugs before they're sent to customers."

"So you think he's the mastermind?" Beckett asks.

"Only one way to find out." Rick replies as he reads the back of the DVD case. "It says here that his headquarters are in the city... Let's pay our friend a visit."

Vong's office was located in one of the better parts of Manhattan. The building was shared by other entrepreneurs who made their incomes from infomercials and had a small studio on the lower level. A quick check with his receptionist revealed that he was taping a new video as they arrived. Rick tells Ryan and Esposito to look for possible back exits as he and Beckett would approach from the front.

The small studio was filled and would appear to be much larger on video, which was the goal. Vong was in the middle of his spiel as Rodgers and Beckett walked up an aisle towards him with their credentials in their hands. The audience looked on and assumed that this was somehow a part of the presentation until Vong suddenly tries to run off the stage and out the back.

Rick and Kate continued to approach the stage as Esposito appears from the rear with Vong. "Why ya running Johnny?" He asks as they walk Vong out of the studio in front of a stunned audience. Thirty minutes later an extremely nervous Vong was sitting in an interrogation room alone as Ryan and Espo watched from behind the mirrored glass. Rodgers and Beckett sat at their desks preparing for their interview. They had the preliminary results of their tests which confirmed the packets contained pure heroin. Vong was about to go away for a very long time.

"You ready?" Rick asks Kate as he gets up from his chair clutching a folder and one of the DVDs in his hand. Beckett simply nods as she starts to follow him back to where Ryan and Espo have been watching Vong. Rodgers looks at the two detectives and inquires. "Is our boy ready?"

Espo chuckles and replies. "Oh yeah, he's ready."

Rodgers and Beckett walk around to the entrance of the interrogation room. Rick stops with his hand on the doorknob and looks back at his partner. "Why don't you take the lead on this one?"

Not knowing what else to say, she simply replies. "Sure thing, partner."

He smiles as he holds the door open for her to enter first. 'Showtime' he mouths to her as she enters the room which causes her to give him a small smile before her expression returns to a look of grim determination for the suspect to see.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen:**

Kate took a seat directly across from Vong, laying a folder on the table. Rick decided to stand in the corner and observe. There was no doubt in his mind of his partner's ability and would remain silent as she questions the suspect. She offers Vong a confident smile as she opens the folder. "Johnny Vong, or should I call you by your real name Barry Wilson, from Bakersfield California. Son of Mary and Frank. Graduated with a degree in finance from UCLA."

Kate pauses for a moment as she watches the anxiety on the face of the suspect grow even more than before. "I guess selling a sham get rich quick scheme via infomercial with a guy named Barry Wilson just wouldn't sell. So you created this whole Johnny Vong persona... But that wasn't enough for you, was it? You started smuggling heroin inside of your DVDs. Somehow Jack Coonan figured out what you were doing. Did he confront you? Is that why you killed him?"

The look of panic on Vong's face turns to one of terror as he realizes that the police think that he had murdered Coonan. "You gotta believe that I had nothing to do with any murder."

"We've got enough evidence to put you away for life Johnny, or is that Barry? Hell, the DA might ask for the needle on this one." Beckett comments flatly as she closes the folder.

Vong reaches across the table, trying to stop her from getting up. "I'm innocent. None of this was my idea. I was just a patsy. But I can tell you who used my shipments to smuggle the drugs... But I want something in return." He was pleading by now.

"Tell us what you have and we'll see what we can do." Beckett offers nonchalantly, as if she didn't care.

"Talk to Dick Coonan. He's the one who forced me into letting him put his heroin in my DVDs. You gotta believe me." Vong is near tears by now.

Both of the detectives are stunned by the revelation and it takes Kate a moment to slip back into interrogator mode again. "You're trying to tell us that the victim's brother is forcing you to smuggle heroin into the country?" She asks incredulously.

"It's the truth. You gotta believe me!" Vong pleads to her. "He came to me when I was just getting started. Told me how we both could make a lot of money. At first, I told him I wasn't interested, but then he threatened to expose my real identity to the media. Who'd want to sent their money to a failed finance major from Bakersfield?"

"Jack Coonan came to me and threatened to expose everything if I didn't stop. I didn't know what to do, so I called Dick and he told me that he'd take care of everything. "

"You're trying to tell us that Dick Coonan had his own brother killed?" Beckett inquires skeptically. "What proof do you have?"

"Coonan somehow gets heroin from Afghanistan to Hong Kong where they make my DVDs. They put the drugs into into the cases and then take them back out when they arrive here. Check the warehouse where the shipments arrive. Somebody working for Coonan picks up the shipments and removes the drugs before they get to my distribution center."

Rodgers finally breaks his silence. "That's a hell of a story, but. what proof do you have?"

"Check the shipping documents. You'll see that a courier service picks up the shipments as soon as they clear customs. They take them someplace before they arrive at my warehouse. Check my phone records. You'll see that I called Coonan a day before his brother's death."

"We'll check out your story and if it leads us to Jack's killer, I'll put in the good word with the DA." Kate replies emotionlessly. She rises up from her chair, picking up the folder. The two walk out of the interrogation room leaving Vong still cuffed to the desk.

They walk around to the other side of the room where Espo and Ryan have been watching. "I need you two to bring in Coonan." Rick calmly comments, trying to mask the dread he was feeling at the moment.

The two detectives simply nod and walk away leaving Rick and Kate standing together. "We need to go down to the morgue. Lanie has some information on the case that she wants to talk over with us."

Beckett arches her eyebrows suspiciously at her partner's comment. She's worked with him long enough to know when he was holding something back from her. And this was one of those times. She follows Rick to the elevator and waits until they're inside before speaking. "Okay partner, what's really going on?"

Rick tries, and fails to hide the guilt he felt at the moment. "Let's talk to Lanie first." Was all he would say as the elevator made its descent. The ME was in the exam room, performing an autopsy as the two entered the morgue. Rick taps on the window, attracting her attention. Lanie looks up from the body she was working on and gestures for the two to wait in her office.

Dr Parish enters her office with a frown. "Let's get this over with. I was in the middle of something." She speaks with an air of confidence that she didn't feel at the moment. Taking her seat, she picks up one of the folders on her desk. "I've got some some new information on the COD of Coonan."

She opens the folder and pulls out an 8x10 photo and slides it in front of Beckett. "The cause of death was a single precision stab wound that penetrated the kidney and severed artery that feeds it." She points to the wound in the photo. "The wound was made with a special knife commonly used by Special Forces soldiers. Whoever did this was a pro. All of the other wounds were non fatal, strictly for show."

"So you're saying that this was a professional hit?" Kate inquires. "You could have told me this over the phone." She then looks at Rick and Lanie and can sense that there was more. "What are you not telling me?"

"Your partner came across a case from four years ago. The method used was identical to that used to kill Coonan..." She pauses for a moment, hoping to choose the right words. "The victim was Johanna Beckett. I'm so sorry Kate."

It took a few seconds for the words to register with Kate. She could sense from the guilty look on her partner's face that he already knew about this. "How? How do you know this?" She pleads to her friend.

"It was after the Cavanaugh case. I'd seen how sloppy police work had allowed Melanie's killer to go free and how it effected you. You told me about your mother's case. I knew about McCallister and Raglan. How they were just like the cops that worked Melanie's case... I decided to take a look at the file."

Rick can see the look of betrayal on her face as he speaks. He knows he needs to explain himself and quickly. "There...there was something off about the ME's report. I, well mother has a friend, Clark Murray, who's regarded as the best forensic pathologist in the country. I asked him to take a look at it and see if he could find anything. He discovered that there was a single, precision wound, much deeper than the other ones... He went on to say that whoever did this was highly skilled and that the blade was the type issued to Special Forces operatives."

"How... how could the medical examiner miss this?" Kate asks, more to herself than to the others there. "Did you talk to him?"

"He died about six months after your mother. They said it was a heart attack. Dr Murray looked a few of the other similar cases around the time of your mother's death. Two cases involved the exact method of murder as your mother. Your mother's death was not an act of gang violence. It was a professional hit."

"Whoever killed Jack Coonan killed my mom." Kate finishes Rick's thought, but is unable to make eye contact with him. "How long... how long have you known?"

Rick swallows hard, not sure of how to answer her question. "A month or two. I was going to tell you, but I just didn't know how."

The look of betrayal on her face breaks his heart and he was sure that she hated him at this moment. All he could do was mouth a silent 'thank you' to Lanie as he stood and walked to the door. Kate remained seated, still trying to process everything that she has heard in the last few minutes. Rick turns to face his partner and speaks. "They should have Coonan in interrogation by now. Let's close this case and you can decide if you still want to work with me."

Rodgers walks out of the room, closing the door behind him. Beckett remains seated as Lanie gives her a sympathetic look. "I'm so sorry Kate." She opens a desk drawer and produces a box of tissues, offering them to Beckett. Kate takes the proffered box, silently thanking her friend.

The ME waits as Beckett regains her composure before speaking. "That partner of yours really cares for you." Kate starts to say something to the contrary, but is waved off dismissively by Lanie. "I know, I know you're mad because he went behind your back and looked into your mother's case. I was pissed when he first told me, but when he showed me the forensic report, I knew that he might have found the break that you've been looking for..."

"Think about it girlfriend, for four years you had nothing to go on but the story the cops fed you. Your partner found out that your mother's death wasn't an act of random gang violence. And thanks to this..." Lanie waves the forensic report from Dr Murray. "We have the proof that whoever killed Jack Coonan..."

"Killed my mother." Beckett finishes for her. "What do I do?"

"Get back upstairs with your partner and solve this case." Lanie replies matter of factly. "That man cares for you enough to put your happiness above his own. He knew that you'd hate him if you found out, but he wanted to give you closure."

Beckett sits there for a minute and contemplates everything that her friend has said. Deep down, she knew that Lanie was right, but that did little to ease the hurt and betrayal she felt at the moment. Kate pushes herself up from her chair and walks to the door. She opens it, stopping before leaving the office. "I'll try... Thank you." Kate replies as she leaves the office.

By the time she arrived back on her floor, Rick was in the interrogation room with Coonan. Ryan and Espo were busy at their desks working on something at didn't notice her return. Javi looks up first and smiles as he hands her several pieces of paper. "Good. You're back. You can take these in to Rodgers."

"What are these?" Beckett inquires.

"Preliminary financial records for Coonan's 'charity'. Looks like the suspect had been taking money, and credit for schools that were never built. The Feds have been investigating him for a while. Between this and Vong's testimony, old Dick is looking at a long time in jail regardless." Espo gives her a satisfied smirk as he spoke.

Kate thanked Javi as she took the papers from him and started towards the interrogation room. Kevin looks at the two and calls out to Kate as she starts to leave. "What did Lanie tell you? Your partner looked pretty upset when he returned and wouldn't say anything."

Kate halts her departure and turns to look at Ryan. "Not now. Maybe later." She tersely replies. Both Javi and Kevin could sense that she was done talking about the subject and returned their attention to the paperwork before them.

Beckett stops at the door, trying to put on her game face before entering. This may be her one chance to catch the bastard who killed her mother and she knew it. Taking a calming breath before entering, she walks in to see her partner standing over Coonan who was handcuffed to the table. She had never seen Rodgers this angry before and hoped that he'd say, or do nothing that would jeopardize their case.

"Your brother found out about you and Johnny Vong's little arrangement. He was going to go to his boss who would have probably killed both you and Vong. So you hired a pro to take care of your brother before he could rat you out to Rourke."

Coonan sits there listening with a grin on his face waiting for Rick to finish. "You've got nothing on me and I'd like to speak to my lawyer." He almost laughs, confident that he could intimidate Vong into recanting his story.

Kate takes a seat beside Rick as he returns to his. She slides the papers that Esposito had given her to him and nods. He quickly looks at the papers and smiles. "Yeah, maybe you're right. But my guess is you better have a team of lawyers. It appears that we aren't the only people investigating you. It appears that those schools that you built don't exist. Those schools that you've bilked millions of dollars from donors to build. Imagine how the press will react once this story comes out." It's Rick's turn to laugh as he sees the smug look on Coonan's face fade.

Coonan quickly regains his composure and calmly replies that he has nothing more to say until he speaks to his lawyer. Kate had a difficult time masking her disappointment that they had lost their one chance to get a confession while Rick doesn't appear to be bothered in the least. They both get up from the table and walk to the door, leaving Coonan cuffed to the table. Beckett exits the room and Rodgers stops just as he is about to do the same. "Just remember that in New York they give you the needle for hiring a murder..." He smiles and closes the door behind him.

The two walk back to their desks and are nearly there before Kate speaks. "We'll never get a confession now. We can't prove that he had his brother killed."

"Don't need to. Dick's smart enough to know that if Finn Rourke finds out what we know, he's a dead man anyway. With what the Feds have on him and with Vong's testimony, he knows he's going to jail for a very long time. Let's hope he's got a smart lawyer that is willing to make a deal." Rodgers replies calmly as he returns to his seat.

"But what about my mother's case?"

"There's no deal unless he gives us the name of the killer. It's as simple as that." Rick replies with more confidence than he actually felt at this moment.

Rick was on the phone to the local FBI office discussing the case with them. While he was apprehensive about working with he Feebs, he found that the agent in charge was cooperative and willing to share what she had. He stayed focused on the task at hand and would worry about the fallout with his partner once this case was closed.

Kate sat at her desk still trying to process everything that has happened to her today. She wanted nothing more than to force Coonan to reveal who he hired to kill his brother. Doing that would put a name on the man that killed her mother. Then she could focus all of her attention on bringing him to justice. She didn't give any thought to her partner and his betrayal of her privacy. She'd deal with that later.

Coonan had been with his lawyer for nearly an hour when the request was made to Rodgers that he and his client wanted to speak to him. Both Rick and Kate returned to the interrogation room and their seats facing Dick and his high priced lawyer.

The lawyer offers the two detectives the insincere smile that they had become accustomed to over the years and starts to speak. "I've spoken to my client and it appears that you have nothing but circumstantial evidence to tie him to his brother's death. Are you sure that a grand jury will even bring formal charges?"

Kate shuddered a little at the reptilian like smile the lawyer had as he spoke while Rick frowns. "I'm pretty sure that the DA won't see it that way. I'm sure that you've explained to your client that he gets the death penalty for hiring the murderer. And even if we don't get a conviction, your client will be spending all of his money on the drug and fraud charges that are pending. With your client's risk of flight, I'm pretty sure that no bail will be set, so he may be sitting in Rikers for a long, long, time." Rodgers returns an equally sinister smile as he speaks.

"I want a deal." Coonan responds as his lawyer grabs his forearm in an attempt to silence him.

"Like what?" Rick quickly inquires.

"Transactional immunity." His lawyer quickly replies. "All current and pending charges dropped in exchange for the identity of the killer."

Rodgers can only laugh in response and starts to get up from his chair. "Maybe you chose the wrong career, because that may be the funniest thing I've heard." He rises to his feet and looks at his partner. "Let's go. We'll take our chances with the system." Kate pushes herself up from her seat and follows him out the door.

Rick is nearly out the door when the lawyer calls out. "Give me a few minutes to discuss things with my client."

"You've got thirty. Then I call the Feds and tell them to get their charges ready." Rodgers replies as he closes the door.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen:**

Exactly thirty minutes later, the two detectives returned to the interrogation room. Coonan had a surprisingly smug look on his face considering the seriousness of the changes he was facing. Rick and Kate returned to their seats just before the lawyer began to speak. "Transactional immunity for all charges related to the murder of Jack Coonan in exchange for the identity of the killer. That's the best I can do. We'll take our chances on the other charges."

The smug look on the faces of both the lawyer and Coonan infuriated both of the detectives, but Rick had expected something like this. He quickly rises to his feet. "I need to discuss this with the DA." Rodgers responds as he and Beckett leave the room. The two walk towards Montgomery's office and wait outside as he finishes a phone call.

The Captain gestures for them to enter. "What have you got Rick?"

"Coonan all but admitted that he had his brother killed, but then he lawyered up. His attorney is offering the identity of the killer in exchange for transactional immunity..." Rodgers respond.

Montgomery arches his eyebrows in surprise. "Why in hell's name would I agree to something like that?"

"I have evidence that proves the person who killed Jack Coonan has been involved in several unsolved murders." Rick replies.

"That's all good and well detective, but why should I let a piece of shit like Coonan walk?" Roy counters.

"Because one of the victims was my mother." Kate replies in a whisper.

Montgomery knew just how important her mother's case was to her. How it was the reason why she became a cop in the first place. He still could see her huddled over her mother's case reports, eating a sandwich while reading with her flashlight for illumination. He was also keenly aware of his own sordid part in this mess.

"Let me talk to the DA. I can't promise anything, but I'll see what I can do." Roy answers as he looks directly at Beckett.

Kate feigns a sad smile and mouths a silent 'thank you' to her captain. "We still have charges pending for drug trafficking and the Feds are ready to charge him for fraud and several other things related to a charity he runs." Rodgers offers, hoping that this will help influence the DA into giving them the transactional immunity that they were seeking.

"I'll keep that in mind. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything." Roy replies as the two leave his office.

It was less than an hour later when Montgomery appears at their desks with a grim smile. "The DA agreed to the immunity in exchange for the _conviction_ of the man hired to murder Jack Coonan. This means that your suspect has to not only identify him, he has to testify that he hired the assassin. Anything less is a no-go."

"Understood sir." Rodgers quickly responds and he and Beckett start to make their way towards the interrogation room. Rick stops and turns to face his captain. "Thank you."

"The DA will deliver the formal paperwork first thing in the morning. It's been a long day and I suggest that both of you get a good night's sleep.." Roy replies and returns to his office.

Rick looks at his watch and realizes just how late it is. He looks across his desk to his partner and then gestures to Ryan and Esposito. "Why don't you guys make sure that our guest is placed in a holding cell until morning and then let's call it a day." The two detectives simply nod and wave goodbye as they walk to the interrogation rooms.

Rick offers Kate a small smile hoping to ignore the elephant in the room for at least one more day. "Would you like a ride home Beckett? It's on my way."

"No, thanks okay. I have a couple of stops to make before I get home." She replies with a calm, measured tone.

Disappointed by her rejection, all he could do way respond with. "Alright then. I'll see you in the morning. Have a good evening." Rodgers rises to his feet, slipping on his jacket and is out of the bullpen without looking back at her.

It would be a long sleepless night for both of them.

Rick arrived at the twelfth at his usual time, carrying two coffees and two bear claws as he usually did. Kate was already seated at her desk with a large cup of coffee from one of the shops nearby. He pasted on his usual smile and sat the cup on her desk along with the pastries. Hoping to lighten the mood he commented. "Looks like someone needs a double dose of caffeine this morning."

She never looks up from the paper she was reading at that moment. "That's ok Rodgers. I decided that I need to take care of myself from now on." The iciness in her words were clearly apparent. "Oh, and I can fend for myself if I'm hungry." She comments and then pushes the bag across to his desk.

Knowing there was nothing that he could say at this moment to make things better, he decided to focus his attention to the task at hand - catching Jack Coonan's killer. "Has the DA's office dropped off the agreement yet?" He inquires.

"No." She responds, never looking up from her papers.

Whatever guilt he was feeling was quickly replaced with anger towards his partner for her behavior. Another ten minutes pass of total silence before he decides that he's had enough. "Look Beckett, I understand that you don't like me right now. I get it. All I ever had was the best of intentions. But then again as the old saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions."

He pauses for a moment waiting for some reaction from his partner. Seeing nothing, he presses on. "I'm sorry if you feel that I've overstepped, but right now we've got a case to solve. If you don't think that you can act like a professional, then maybe you ought to take the day off. I need someone that I can work with."

He knew that he was being deliberately mean to her, but right now they needed to close this case. She could ask for a new partner after this was over. He hated the thought of breaking up Ryan and Esposito as they had grown to become a very good team. He'd talk to Montgomery after this was over and see if a trade could be worked out with another team. He hated the idea, but knew that trust was critical for a partnership to work.

And he knew that his partner didn't trust him.

Another hour passes before the courier delivers the document to his desk. He calls Coonan's attorney and tells him that he has the papers and to get here as quick as he can. The four detectives met in one of the conference rooms to discuss how they would approach their interrogation of Coonan. A background check that Ryan had obtained from the FBI revealed that Coonan had been a Special Forces soldier years before and had probably established some contacts in the region during his time in the Mideast.

Coonan's attorney arrives about an hour after Rick's call and Dick is returned to the same interrogation room from his holding cell where he spent the night. The smug smile on his face had returned upon seeing the two detectives enter the room. They both sat down as Rodgers began to speak. "We have your agreement, but there are a few conditions that must be met for it to apply." Rick shoves the document across the table to the attorney sitting beside Coonan.

The lawyer quickly scans the document and whispers something into his client's ear. The two detectives watch as Coonan shakes his head in disagreement. The muted conversation continues between the two of them for another minute or so before the attorney sighs and pushes the document back across the table. "I'm sorry, but the way this agreement is worded, there is no way that he can meet his part of he agreement."

"Why is that? You've all but admitted that you hired the assassin that killed your brother." Rodgers counters.

"Because all I have is a name." Coonan replies before his lawyer can stop him. "I sent a text message with the name of the target and then deposited $50,000.00 in an off shore account as a sign of good faith. If he accepted the offer, I would receive a text message. He always fulfills his obligation within 72 hours after acceptance."

His lawyer interrupts Coonan before he can say any more. "Detectives, as you can see, my client is more than willing to cooperate with your investigation, but he cannot identify a person he never met. If we can modify the agreement to the things he can provide, he'll provide you with everything he knows."

Rick stands and pulls the document from the table. "I don't have the authority to make such changes. Let me speak to the people that can." He walks out of the room, Beckett following silently behind him.

Rodgers knocks on the Captain's door and is immediately ushered inside. He and Beckett stand in front of Montgomery's desk silently waiting for their boss to finish the call he was making at the moment. He eyes the two detectives standing before him suspiciously. "Is there a problem Rodgers?"

Rick swallows before speaking. "We've ran into a problem sir. It appears that Coonan cannot physically identify the assassin as the immunity agreement specifies. All he has is a name, a phone number and an offshore account number where he made his payment for the hit."

The frown on Montgomery's face grows as he considers what Rick has just told him. "This isn't good... What do you propose detective?"

"That we accept the modified agreement, but make Coonan have to contact the killer with another contract. We pick the victim and when he accepts the offer we catch him when he tries to execute the contract. We hold Coonan until the killer is captured." Rick quickly replies as if he had thought this out already.

"I don't know about this detective. It sounds like a great deal of risk for very little reward. And besides, who do you want to pick as the target?" Roy counters.

Rick can see Kate physically deflate before him, knowing that the best chance of catching the man that murdered her mother slipping through her fingers. "What about the others that this SOB has killed? Aren't they entitled to justice? Don't we owe them that much?" Rodgers pleads to his boss.

Montgomery knew who Rodgers was really talking about and sighs in agreement. "I don't like this one bit, but what choice do we have? Let me talk to the DA and see if I can get him to agree to your plan."

"Thank you sir." Rick quickly replies.

"You know if this thing goes sideways the DA's going to have all our asses." Roy remarks as he picks up the phone and calls the DA.

Beckett and Rodgers enter the interrogation room again, returning to their seats facing Coonan and his lawyer. He places the document on the table between the two of them. "Give me everything that you have on the assassin and you'll get your deal." Rick's voice is even and measured, fighting back the contempt he felt for the man sitting across from him.

Both Coonan and his lawyer smile at their victory as the attorney quickly scans the document, crossing out the conditions on it that no longer applied. Once he was done he slid the paper back across the table. "Initial the changes that I've made and we'll sign your agreement."

Rick slid the document to Kate, who quickly scanned over the changes and frowned. Coonan would basically walk on a murder charge if they agreed to this with nothing more than a name, a account number and a promise to testify _if_ they caught the killer. As much as she wanted to bring down the person responsible for her mother's death, she wasn't sure if this was the way to do it.

Kate starts to scribble her own conditions on the document, including Coonan's participation in the the contact of the assassin and providing the $50,000.00 required for his services. She slides the document back across the table and tells the attorney to initial her changes and they all can sign the document.

He starts to balk at her demand that Coonan provide the funds to secure the services of the assassin, but Dick whispers to him to go ahead and agree. This puzzled everyone else in the room, but Kate simply assumed that he was happy to pay the money to escape a murder charge and possible death sentence.

Papers signed, Coonan begins to provide the information that he has. "All I have is his alias, Rathborne. I send a text message to a a number with the name of the target along with a deposit of fifty k to this account...". Coonan scribbles a number on a sheet of paper. "and wait. If he accepts the contract, he'll send me a text message from the same number l contacted him with."

"What happens after that?" Kate inquires.

Coonan can't help but smirk at the question. "If he accepts the contract, then I send the balance to the same offshore account."

"You never mentioned another payment. How much more?" Beckett asks.

"Fifty K." Coonan replies.

"And the NYPD will have to provide that money." Coonan's lawyer quickly responds. "I believe that my client has been more than fair providing his own money for your sting."

"There's no way the NYPD is going to give us this type of money." Beckett replies.

"In that case, we are done here. We have honored our part of the agreement and my client should be free until charges are filed regarding the other matters." He starts to push his chair back from the table to get up.

"Sit back down. We'll get the money." Rick calmly replies, surprising everyone else in the room. He slides his cellphone across the table. "Make the call."

"Who's the target?" Coonan inquires.

"Johnny Vong." Rick replies, shocking his partner, who starts to protest. He simply smiles and places a hand over hers.

Coonan smiles and starts to prepare the text message. He sends it and slides the phone across the table for Rick to see that it was sent. Rodgers looks at the device to verify the number that the message was sent to was the same one that Coonan claimed went to the assassin. "What now?" He inquires.

"I need access to a computer so that I can transfer the fifty grand to Rathborne's account." Coonan replies.

Rodgers gets up from his seat and exits the room, leaving his partner sitting there. She was still trying to figure out how Rick was going to come up with the extra money they needed. _If Rathborne accepted the contract._ Rick returns to the room a minute or two later with a laptop computer. He slides it across the table to Dick. "Transfer the money."

After a few minutes of typing, Coonan smiles and slides the computer back across the desk, letting the two detectives see that there has been a transfer from his personal account. "Done."

"What now?" Kate inquires.

"We wait and see if he accepts the offer. He'll send a text message to the number I called him from and then you send the remainder to the account number I gave you in the Cayman Islands." Coonan calmly replies.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen:**

Beckett and Rodgers waited outside the interrogation room as Coonan was lead back to a holding cell. His attorney advised the two to call just as soon as they received the confirmation text from Rathborne.

Rick was silent and looked like his thoughts were a million miles away as the two returned to their desks. Kate had tried to remain silent, trusting that her partner had a plan. She watched as Rodgers abruptly got up from his desk and walked away without a word. About ten minutes later he returns to his desk and starts working on some of the papers there.

No longer able to stand the silent treatment she felt from her partner, she speaks. "How in the hell are you going to come up with the fifty thousand we need if Rathborne agrees to the job?"

"Already taken care of detective." Rick replies flatly, his eyes never leaving his desk.

"Care to share with the rest of the class?" She counters, truly curious to know how he could come up with that much cash.

"No." He responds, refusing to elaborate.

The remainder of the day was spent with the four of them working out the details of Rick's plan. A detective from vice had agreed to play the role of Vong for their sting. They would make it known that Vong was being transferred from protective custody to the courthouse for his preliminary hearing. This would provide Rathborne with his best opportunity to fulfill his contract - assuming he accepted it. Ryan and Esposito would serve as his bodyguards as the fake Vong was escorted into the courtroom. A SWAT team would serve as oversight. Rick and Kate would coordinate everything from a location nearby.

It was a little after six and there had been no confirmation from Rathborne. Rodgers decides to call it a day and tells the others to get a good night's sleep as they'll probably need it tomorrow. Esposito and Ryan quickly gathered up their things and were out of the bullpen before their boss could change his mind. Rick returned his attention to something he was looking at on his desk as Kate quietly slipped on her coat and extracted her purse from her drawer.

She starts towards the elevator, but then stops to look at her partner. She was still angry at him for his betrayal of her privacy and the harsh words they exchanged earlier that day, but she couldn't understand why she felt such sadness watching him. "Goodnight Rodgers. See you in the morning." Her last statement sounded more like a question.

"Until tomorrow detective." Rick softly replies, never making eye contact.

The subway ride home that night seemed to take forever. Kate couldn't shake the feeling of guilt for how she treated her partner earlier in the day. She knew that her rejection of his breakfast offerings was not a show of independence, but an act intended to hurt his feelings. She couldn't help but worry about how he had came up with the fifty thousand dollars. She knew that even as a lead detective he wasn't making that much more than her. _Did he borrow the money? Why?_

She had listened to his impassioned plea to Montgomery about getting justice for the other victims and knew that the real reason was to help her. While it did little to lessen the betrayal that she felt, it did make her realize his motives. Once this case was closed, they would have a long talk about boundaries.

Kate arrived at her father's apartment a few minutes after seven. Jim had sent the sitter home a few minutes earlier and her two men were in the kitchen together. Nathan was sitting at the table talking about his day as his grandfather was busy making Mac and cheese, his favorite meal. She stood in the archway between the rooms and smiled at the interaction between her two guys. They were her tether to reality, her safe harbor after a day of seeing just how cruel people can be to each other.

Nathan finally notices his mother standing in the archway watching, and calls out. "Mommy!" As he slides off of the chair and runs to where she is standing.

Kate scoops him up from the floor and pulls him tightly to her chest while planting kisses on his cheek. "How are my two favorite guys?"

"Did you catch any bad guys today?" Nathan inquires. He knew that his mommy put bad people away when they hurt other people. His granddad told him. At three years old he didn't know what his mother really did, but she was a hero to him.

'Not today Nate, but maybe tomorrow." She replies as she lowers him back down to the floor. He scurries back to the chair as she walks to the counter where her father was busy preparing tonight's meal. She places a small kiss on her father's cheek and inquires about his day.

The two make small talk as Kate pulls the ingredients from the refrigerator to make a salad to go with the entree. She wondered how differently things would have played out for the two of them if she wasn't already pregnant when Johanna was killed. She still remembers the night she told him. How close he was to letting his wife's death consume him.

The three continued their conversations as they ate their dinner. She enjoyed this part of the day the most. Soon dinner was over and Nate was sent to play in his room while Jim and Kate cleaned up the kitchen. He had sensed that something was troubling his daughter and knew that she would only reveal what it was when she was ready. So he avoided the subject talking about anything else that he could as she washed and he dried the dishes.

Kate wanted to tell her father what was happening, but had no idea how he would react. She decides that until they capture Johanna's killer, it was better to say nothing at all. There was no sense in getting his hopes up yet. The two left the kitchen and Jim takes his seat in his chair to continue reading one of the historical novels that he was fond of. Kate walks to the Nathan's bedroom where he was playing with his oversized Legos.

"Ready for your bath?" Kate inquires, seeing the look of determination on her son's face as he worked on his project.

"Just a minute mommy." He replies, never looking up from his blocks.

She looks around his room that had previously served as her parents office before, remembering them working late into the night on whatever case they had at the time. That seemed like a lifetime ago. Kate understood why her partner would live with his mother as she was doing the same thing. There was now way that either could afford the type of home they had with their parents on their salaries from the NYPD.

Satisfied with his effort, Nathan looks up to his mother smiling. "It's done mommy. What do ya think?"

She smiles seeing her son so pleased with his work. It was moments like these that make everything that she did worthwhile and she knew Johanna would love Nathan as much as she did. "It's wonderful son. Let's get you bathed and into bed."

He hops up from the floor and follows her to the bathroom. Minutes later, they return to his room where Kate watches as he puts his Legos away and climbs into his race car shaped bed. "Will you read to me mommy?" He inquires as Kate tucks him in.

"Sure. What do you want me to read?" She inquires.

"Curious George mommy!" He gleefully replies.

Kate can only smile at his request. She has read this story to him so many times that she has it memorized. Kate didn't mind as it pleased Nate and he would quickly fall asleep. She picks up the worn copy that had been read to her when she was his age, opening it. She was nearly half way through the book when she stops. Her son is asleep and she places a kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight Nate. Sweet dreams. Love you." Kate whispers to him as she pushes herself up from his bead.

Kate woke early. She'd gotten very little sleep as her mind couldn't let go of the case. That and the future of her and her partner. If there was one. She kissed a sleeping Nathan goodbye and was on the subway to the precinct minutes later. She arrives at the twelfth before her fellow detectives and heads straight for the break room. She started a new pot of coffee and waited for it to brew, knowing that this was her best shot at getting something drinkable.

Returning to her desk, cup in hand, she starts to look at some of the evidence that they had on Coonan and wonders if Rick had been contacted by Rathborne. First Ryan, then Esposito arrive a few minutes later, making a beeline for the break room. They exchange pleasantries and return to the work they had before them.

Rodgers arrives carrying a single cup of coffee. He looked tired and grim faced. Kate had to admit that seeing him show up without her morning beverage stung more than a little. He seems to collapse into his chair as Ryan and Esposito return from the break room, coffees in hand.

"Well?" Javi inquires.

"It's on." Rick replies.

"You sent the money?" Kevin inquires and Rodgers nods in response. "What now?"

"We follow through with the plan. We setup the transfer of the fake Vong and hope we draw out the bastard." Rick replies.

The remainder of the day was spent working out the details of the sting. Rick wanted to make sure that no detail was left out and the four of them went over the plan again and again. Satisfied with their effort, he decides to send everyone home early.

Everyone left early except Rick who continued to work on the details alone. Ryan and Espo could both sense that there was something going on between Rodgers and Beckett. And whatever it was wasn't good. While they both acted professionally, there were none of the little jokes or gestures that the two normally shared. At first, they attributed his demeanor to the case, but both detectives could sense that there was something more by the way Kate would look at her partner and never offered an opinion on any subject discussed during their planning.

The following morning the sting was executed exactly as Rodgers had planned. Javi and Kevin acted as the fake Vong's bodyguards as a tactical team kept watch on the route from the precinct to the courthouse. Kate stayed with Rick as they coordinated the action from a van nearby.

Rathborne never makes a move.

Beckett could sense the feeling of failure that her partner made very little effort to hide. He sat alone in the rear of the van as they returned to the precinct. Rodgers reported the outcome to Montgomery who tried to assure him that 'shit happens' and that he'd done nothing wrong.

To make things worse, Coonan's attorney was waiting for them, demanding that his client be released. Dick was brought from his holding cell back to an interrogation room to speak with his lawyer while Rodgers prepared to face the two. Rodgers and Beckett enter the room grim faced as they faced the smiling men sitting across from them.

"Detective Rodgers, I believe that my client has fulfilled the terms of his agreement and request that he be released immediately." Coonan's attorney calmly states as he lays his copy of their agreement before them.

"We still have twenty four hours." Rick replies. "And I plan on keeping your client here for every one of them. So if you'll excuse me, I have a murderer to catch." Rodgers pushes himself up from his seat and starts to the door, Beckett closely following behind.

He was nearly out the door when Coonan remarks. "I hope she's worth it." He leers at Beckett as they exit the room.

They walk back to their desks and taking a seat, both looking defeated by the whole ordeal.

Beckett finally breaks the silence between the two of them. "I'm so sorry about the money. I'll figure a way to pay you back."

Rick listens to his partner's offer and holds up his hand. "Not necessary detective. It was my idea. My money. My loss."

"Yeah, but I know you did it for me. Hell, everybody knows. Even Coonan." Kate replies, embarrassed by the fact.

Rodgers considers what Beckett has just said as he replays Coonan's comment. "How did Coonan know about your ties to this? Unless... he's Rathborne?"

Kate's face pales at the thought that her mother's killer may be sitting in a holding cell only hours from being set free unless they can prove that he lied to them.

"We've got twenty three hours to prove that Coonan lied to us." Rick remarks as he picks up his phone and makes a call. Beckett can only hear her partner's side of the conversation, but can tell that he's calling in a favor with whomever is on the other end of the call. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll owe you. Don't I always?" Rodgers chuckles at whatever the other person said as he hangs up his phone.

He leans back in his chair and offers a wan smile. "It appears that Mr Coonan may have been a little more involved in the military than what he let on. I know a guy that will try to get hold of his 'real' records." Rick glances at his watch, noticing that somehow the entire day had somehow slipped by. "Why don't you call it a day? I'm sure that your son would like to see his mommy when there's still daylight."

Appreciative of his offer, she can only smile as she questions. "What about you?"

"I've got a couple of calls to make and then I'll be out of here myself." Rodgers replies.

Knowing that there was nothing more she could do, Kate gathered up her belongings and slipped on her jacket. "Goodnight Rodgers." Kate remarks as she. Slips her bag over her shoulder.

"Until tomorrow detective." He replies as he lifts the phone from the cradle and starts to dial.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen:**

Rather than head straight home, Beckett decides to speak to the only person that knew her situation and the facts. Lanie was sitting in her office dictating notes into her voice recorder as Kate knocks on the door. Lanie takes one look at her friend and gestures her inside. "What's wrong girlfriend? You look like someone kicked your puppy. Sit down." Her normal smirk replaced with a look of concern seeing her friend before her.

"I don't know what to do. I was so mad at him for poking his nose into my mother's case..." Beckett replies emotionlessly.

"What did you do?" The ME questions suspiciously.

Kate sighed as she searched for what to say. "I knew that he felt guilty for what he did and that he wanted to apologize. He brought in coffee and a pastry like he always does... But I refused to accept his offering, telling him that I needed to be able to take care of myself. That I didn't need anything from him."

"What did he say?" Lanie asks, already guessing by the look on her friend's face.

"He told me that we had a case to solve. Once it was over, he'd make new arrangements regarding partners." Kate replies. "We met with Coonan and his lawyer who want to cut a deal in exchange for his freedom... He would give us the name of the killer he hired if he went free. We talked to Montgomery and Rick pleaded with him to take the deal. He knew that this was my best chance to catch the SOB that killed my mother."

She pauses to take a breath before continuing, keeping an eye on how her friend reacted to the information. "The Captain agreed to the deal, but there was a snag. We had to come up with fifty thousand dollars to complete the contract. The NYPD wouldn't give us the money because there was a very good chance that we would never get it back. But then Rick said that he'd come up with the money..."

"My god, where would Ricky come up with that type of money!" Lanie gasps in surprise.

"I don't know. Maybe he borrowed it from his mother..." Kate replies. Her answer sounding more like a question. "He sent the money to the killers account, but the bastard never showed. Now Rick's out the money and there's a good chance that Coonan may be the killer. And he's twenty two hours from walking away from it all."

"What makes you think that Coonan's the killer?" Lanie inquires.

"Something he said after his attorney tried to get us to set him free earlier today. He told Rick as we were walking out of the interrogation room, 'I hope she's worth it'. Neither of us had ever mentioned anything about my mother's murder to Coonan." Kate replies with a sigh of resignation.

"Tell me Ricky has a plan." Lanie comments, sure that Rodgers wouldn't let Coonan get away with murder.

"Yeah, he's up to something. He was making calls when he sent me home for the day. Claims that he knows some people that can get Coonan's 'real' military records." Kate replies but then pauses as if mid thought. "You've known him longer than I, what are his chances?"

"I know that somehow our boy knows a lot of people in a lot of places. How he does is beyond me, but I'd never doubt him. Rodgers has closed a lot of cases working with government agencies over the years." Lanie replies with a smile. Her smile fades as she takes on the appearance of a mother scolding her child. "What are you going to do about the mess you've made once this case is over?"

"What can I do? I still feel betrayed that he went behind my back to investigate my mother's case. I don't know if I can forgive him." Kate replies as if she's realizing something for the first time.

"Even if his betrayal leads to putting the man who murdered your mother behind bars? Girlfriend, you can't be that stupid... or can you?" Parish replies with a little more bite in her words than she intended, but she was clearly upset with Beckett at this moment.

"I don't know Lanie." Kate replies in a whisper. "I have to be able to trust my partner with my life and I don't know if I can trust him now."

"You may be the dumbest smart person that I ever met. Anyone with a functioning pair of eyes can see that he's nuts about you and proves it by trying to give you the one thing you need the most - closure. So what if he went behind your back and started his own investigation? Last time I checked, he was a detective... and a pretty good one at that. And now thanks to his effort, you may be able to finally catch the bastard that killed your mother." The sarcastic edge to the ME's voice softens to more of a motherly one by the end of her little speech.

"If you honestly believe that you can't trust Rick, then ask for a transfer to another team. I'm sure he won't put up a fight... and besides, trust is a two way street." Lanie finishes her comment with a sigh, as if she'd done all she could.

"I need to think about this. I just need some time." Kate replies.

"If you still need time then you might as well go ahead and talk to Montgomery about that transfer now. You're a cop. Look at the evidence." Lanie pauses to collect her thoughts, then continues. "I saw the way he looked at you at his Christmas party. He cares about you. More than as a partner. And I thought I saw the same look on your face that night after the kiss."

Kate knew her friend was right - about everything. Time would not change her mind about how she felt and would only afford her the opportunity to prepare justifications for her feelings. And she couldn't forget the way she felt after their kiss. The problem was the feeling that won out over all was fear. She had not been in any form of a relationship since Rogan and that had ended in disaster. The only consolation was her son. He saved her from going to a very dark place after Johanna's death.

Having nothing to say that would assuage her friend's fear, she offers a sad smile. "Thanks for the advice. I'll see you tomorrow." Kate offers as she turns to leave Lanie's office.

The subway ride home was spent thinking about everything her friend had told her. Kate knew that if she looked at the evidence like a detective, she'd see that what Lanie had said was true. Rick was only trying to give her closure. He was trying to look out for his partner. For far too long, Beckett had assumed that only she would be able to get justice for her mother. Her sole motivation for becoming a cop was to find the person responsible for her mother's death. The cops that had the case were quick to write it off as nothing more than an act of gang violence and bury it with all of the other unsolved murders.

But Kate knew that there was more to the story. Why was her mother in a place like that on a cold January night? Was it tied to a case she was working on at the time? Why would a professional hit man kill her mother?

Her mind was reeling with unanswered questions, but knew that if her partner was correct, where she could get the answers. At least some them. Dick Coonan. Kate made up her mind that she would do whatever it took to get those answers.

The only question now was if she'd do it alone.

Rick arrived at the loft a little later than what he intended. Martha had already put Alexis to bed for the night. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he climbs the stairs and enters his daughter's room. For a moment, he simply stands by the bed looking down at her with adoration. Kneeling down, he pulls up her blanket, tucking it under her chin and places a soft kiss on her cheek. "Goodnight Pumpkin. Daddy loves you." He whispers to her as a smile appears on her face. Pushing himself to his feet, he quietly exits the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Rodgers walks into the kitchen and pulls the leftover Chinese takeout from the night before and places the container into the microwave. Grabbing a beer from the fridge, he settles down at the breakfast bar and eats his meal alone. Finishing his meal, he tosses the empty container and beer bottle into the trash as his phone vibrated in his pocket. Retrieving the device, he reads the text message and smiles. 'I've got you now.' Rick thinks as he closes the phone and decides to try and get some sleep.

He arrived at the precinct at his normal time, surprised to see the other members of his team already there. What was more surprising was the coffee cup and bag from his favorite bakery sitting on his desk. He sits down warily, not sure how to react. "What's this?" He gestures to the food on his desk while looking at the others.

Ryan and Espo both grin and turn their heads towards the guilty party. "I may have overreacted to your gesture the other day." Kate shyly offers, unwilling to make eye contact.

"You didn't have to do this. I got the message." Rick replies while looking directly at her. Deciding to change the subject, he starts to speak. "My contacts came through for me. I have enough to void the deal with Coonan."

"How's that?" Both Ryan and Espo inquire simultaneously.

"There never was a Rathborne. The bank account in the Caymans was created by Coonan's lawyer." Rick replies.

"And how would you know that?" Kate inquires, shocked by the revelation.

"Fifty thousand dollars is a lot of incentive for a hacker. When you make it known that there's that type of money available that no one will ever come after, it's amazing what someone can find." Rodgers replies with a huge grin.

The other three detectives were silent as they realized that their leader seemed to speak about such a large sum of money as if it was nothing. "So you gave some hacker fifty large?" Javi inquires.

"The money was already lost. I just made sure that Coonan didn't get it." Rick replies while laying several documents before the others on his desk. "I know a guy who has access to government documents. The type of documents not available through normal channels... It appears that our suspect downplayed his military career."

The other three looked at the military records for Dick Coonan. Being in Special Forces himself, Esposito lets out a low whistle. "Holy shit man, this says that Coonan was a SEAL!" Javi continues to read the record. "Says here that he was dishonorably discharged. Something about an incident in Bosnia. Charges were dropped in exchange for his discharge."

"I managed to get in touch with his former commanding officer. He said that Coonan's specialty was getting up close and personal with his victim's... His weapon of choice was his ceramic bladed knife and was able to kill with a single stab wound to the exact same location as the one that killed Jack Coonan." Rick remarks as Kate realizes what this means to her mother's case and tries to mask the shock.

"Lots of guys probably learned how to kill the same way in the SEALs." Espo counters.

"You're right. But what are the odds? You know he did this. We've got at least enough to void the transactional immunity agreement. Maybe we can cut a deal to take the death penalty off the table if he tells us about his other murders."

"And who hired him." Kate quickly adds, which causes Rodgers to smile.

Confused by Beckett's comment, Ryan inquires. "Hired him? Am I missing something?" Espo nods his head in agreement.

"Rodgers had a forensic pathologist look at my mother's autopsy. He found that she was killed the exact same way as Jack Coonan. Dick made a comment yesterday... said 'I hope she's worth it'. How'd he know about my loss?" Kate replies.

"Unless he made the hit." Esposito answers for her.

Rick's phone rings on his desk and he answers. The conversation was short and he thanked the caller before hanging up. He turns to look at his fellow detectives before speaking. "That was the desk sergeant. Coonan's attorney is on his way up. It's showtime."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen:**

Beckett and Rodgers entered the interrogation room a few minutes after Coonan and his lawyer. Both were offering a smug smile to the detectives as they took their seats across from them. The attorney slides the transactional immunity agreement across the table to Rick and offers a snide grin as he begins to speak. "I'm here to see my client released per our agreement."

Rodgers takes the proffered document and quickly tears it in two. "I'm afraid not. You and your client did not keep up his part of the agreement." Rick offers a smirk of his own. "I have proof that your client is Rathborne and that the account in the Caymans that I sent the money to was created by your office."

"You have no proof of that." The lawyer quickly counters.

"Oh, but I do. And the text message that I received confirming the contract came from a burner phone that was purchased in bulk by your law firm." Rodgers replies. "Lawyer client privilege only goes so far and I'm sure the New York Bar Association would be very interested."

Rick pauses and then looks directly at Coonan. "Did a little research into your military background. It appears that you weren't the model soldier that you've portrayed yourself to be to your charity's contributors. And whatever happened in Bosnia led to your dishonorable discharge. I managed to speak to one of your former SEAL buddies. He said that your specialty was the up close kill with your ceramic blade knife. The same way Jack was killed... and several others in this area over the last five years."

The smug look on Coonan's face is gone now, replaced with a menacing glare as his attorney tries to take control of the situation. "All you have is circumstantial evidence. It will never hold up in court."

"Do you really want to take that chance. If your client is convicted, the DA's going to push for the death penalty. And given the fact that your client already admitted that he 'hired' the man that killed his brother, he's already got life without parole in front of him." Rick replies calmly, knowing that he now has the upper hand.

"What are you offering?" Coonan asks, ignoring his lawyer.

"Life without parole in exchange for the name of the person who hired you to murder Johanna Beckett." Rick answers, surprising his partner who had been quietly listening to it all.

"Can't do that." Coonan calmly replies.

"Why not?" Beckett speaks before Rodgers has the chance.

"Because all I got was a name of my target and a deposit in my bank account." Dick replies, admitting that he was the man that murdered Johanna without saying so.

Rodgers gathers up the pictures and documents on the desk and rises to his feet. "That's too bad. You have nothing to offer so I guess you'll have to take your chances with a jury. I'll have someone escort you back to holding and then you'll stay at Rikers until you get a bail hearing... I wouldn't hold much hope of you getting bail, but you never know."

Beckett rises to her feet and follows him to the door where he stops and turns to face Coonan. "Oh, and to answer your question... Yes, she is worth it." The two exit the interrogation room and return to their desks as one of the uniformed officers returns Coonan to the holding cells.

Rodgers is first to break the silence. "I'm sorry Beckett. I honestly thought that Coonan would give us the name of who hired him to kill your mother."

Kate could see the look of frustration on his face and the sincerity in his voice. "It's not your fault. You did the best you could. Thank you." She replies.

"Do you really believe that Coonan would take a contract from a complete stranger?" Rick inquires.

"No."

"Neither do I. Too much risk of a setup. No, he knows who hired him and he's either more afraid of them than prison, or..."

"He's counting on that person to get him out of here." Kate finishes his thought for him, causing them both to smile.

A pair of uniformed patrolmen escorted Coonan from the twelfth to Rikers for processing a few hours later. Rick and Kate spent the remainder of the shift preparing the paperwork that would be sent to the DA. Gone were the normal good feelings that came with solving a case, as they may have solved Jack Coonan's murder, they still had no idea why someone decided Johanna Beckett needed to die.

The four went their separate ways at the end of their shift as none felt like celebrating. After dinner with Alexis, Rick spent the remainder of the evening alone in his office replaying the events of the last few days to see if he'd overlooked something. He dreaded the inevitable talk that he would need to initiate with Captain Montgomery to allow Beckett to transfer to another team. He would keep his word to her and allow her to transfer to another homicide team as she needed to trust her partner with her life.

And the way she looked at him after discovering his secret investigation into Johanna's case said that she didn't.

Kate's evening was spent doing the same things while fighting the disappointment of being so close to solving her mother's case. Knowing that Coonan committed the act didn't answer the real question - why. And she took no solace in the fact that although Johanna's killer will spend the rest of his life in prison, he would be doing so for another crime.

Beckett thought about the aftermath of her actions over the last few days. Lanie's ominous warning played over and over in her mind. The hurt and anger that Kate felt when she first learned of her partner's secret investigation into her mother's case was waning. She knew that he had done everything that he could to solve her case and had put up fifty thousand dollars as proof. Part of her hoped that he'd forgotten about their deal to allow her transfer to another team after this case. Another part of her wasn't sure if she could ever trust him completely.

Kate arrives at the precinct at her normal time and was pleasantly surprised to see a takeout cup of coffee and a bag from the nearby bakery sitting on her desk. She sees that her partner is busily typing something and doesn't seem to notice her arrival. Slipping off her jacket, she drapes it over the back of her chair before taking a seat. She was about to greet her partner when she sees the paper on her desk. A quick glance confirms that it is a request for transfer form already signed by Rodgers.

Confused by the conflicting gestures, Beckett looks across the desk to where her partner is still busy typing, seemingly oblivious to her presence. She picks up the paper and glares at Rick. "What is this?"

Rodgers looks up at her and calmly replies. "It's your request for transfer. The case is closed and I'm keeping my word."

"Is this what you want?" Kate inquires, the hurt apparent in her voice.

"What I want doesn't matter. You don't trust me and I understand. This job is too dangerous to have to worry about being able to count on your partner when things go sideways." Rodgers replies, a tone of acceptance in his voice. "I spoke to Karpowski this morning... Benson, her partner is retiring next month. She said that we could make a trade and he would work with me until he got his twenty. You wouldn't have to change precincts or bosses. Karpowski said that she'd love to have you as a partner."

Kate's whole body seemed to deflate as she sat there and listened to Rick calmly explain his plan. He'd certainly followed through with his promise. That much she had to admit. The question now was, 'is this what she really wants'? "Have you talked to the Captain about this?" She inquires, not sure how Montgomery would react to such a request and not sure of how she hoped he would.

Rick looks up from his desk just as the subject of her question approaches their desks. Grim faced, he looks at the two of them before speaking. "Rodgers, Beckett, my office." He turns and walks back to his office before either can respond. Both detectives follow their Captain, wondering why they were being summoned before him. Montgomery takes his seat and gestures for the two to do the same. "Close the door Rodgers." He instructs as Rick complies.

The grim look on Montgomery's face deepens. "I just got a call from Rikers. It appears that there was an incident in the yard this morning... Dick Coonan is dead. I wanted to let you two know first. I know how much this case meant to you Beckett."

"Do they know who did it?" Kate asks, hoping for a lead.

"You know how it goes. A yard full of people, yet nobody sees a thing." Roy replies with a sigh.

"How was he killed?" Rodgers questions.

"Shanked. Stabbed with a makeshift knife. We'll know more once the autopsy is completed." Montgomery replies. He pauses for a moment before speaking. "Send all of your paperwork to the DA and go ahead and close the case." He could see the look of defeat on the faces of his two detectives. Roy understood their frustration at being so close. But he also knew who was pulling the strings and was grateful for the dead end Coonan's death provided.

"Is there something else detectives?" Montgomery inquires, seeing the two still in their seats.

"Sir, now that the case is closed, I promised detective Beckett an opportunity to transfer to another team." Rick replies.

He arches his eyebrows in surprise at Rodgers' statement and then looks at Beckett. "And why would she want to transfer to another team?"

"I don't sir. There's been a misunderstanding." Kate quickly responds, surprising both men.

Montgomery knows that there's more to the story that what either of his detectives are willing to admit, but decides to drop it. "Good. I don't like the idea of breaking up a team with so much promise. If neither of you have any other earth shattering revelations, then I'll let you return to your work. The two get up from their seats and start to leave the office. Rick has his hand on the doorknob as Montgomery speaks. "One more thing Detective Rodgers... If I ever hear about you sneaking files out to conduct your own secret investigations... regardless of who, or why...well, let's just say I won't let you off with just a warning."

Rick knew that it was pointless to argue with his Captain at the moment, regardless of the fact that they would have never tied Coonan to Johanna Beckett's murder without it. He simply shrugged and replied. "Yes sir."

The two return to their desks and begin to put away all of the evidence that they had collected for the case into the box that would be filed away, more than likely never to be seen again. Other than a few comments regarding safe topics, little was said between the two. Kate was wondering if she had made the right choice in asking to stay on as his partner and Rick wondering what had changed her mind.

Once everything was put away, ready to be sent to storage, Rodgers speaks as if thinking out loud. "None of this makes any sense."

Confused by his comment, Kate responds. "What are you talking about?"

"Why kill Coonan? I mean, all he was being charged with was his brother's murder. None of his other kills were mentioned... so why take him out like that?"

"Maybe he had a partner in his operation that was afraid of being outed in exchange for a lighter sentence?" Beckett offers.

Rick looks suspiciously around the room then nonchalantly looks at his watch. "You know it's past lunch time... What say we stop by Remys and grab a bite?"

Taken back a little by the offer, Kate can sense that this is more than an invitation to eat. Offering a small smile she replies. "Sure, I could stand to eat." She slips on her jacket and grabs her purse as Rick is already standing by the elevator.

As soon as the two get into the cruiser Kate breaks the silence. "Okay, what's this all about?"

Rick chuckles at her stern look at him as she speaks. "What? I thought that you could use a break away from the precinct." His smile falters and turns serious as he can see that she is in no joking mood. "Here me out... What if Coonan's murder had nothing to do with his brother's death, but with the person that he was working for? What if the person who hired him to kill your mother found out that he was ready to talk?"

"But he didn't. He claimed he had no idea who hired him." Beckett replies.

"What if he made it known that he would keep that person's identity a secret in exchange for his freedom?" Rick counters.

"Somebody would have to have a lot of power to pull of something like that."

"Like somebody with enough power to get Coonan shanked his first day in Rikers?"

Kate's face pales at the thought that someone with great power was behind her mother's death and wonders what she had gotten involved with that made her a target. She was still trying to come to terms with the fact that the man that actually killed her mother was dead and now this?

Rodgers parks the cruiser in a loading zone near the entrance to the burger joint. He laid his NYPD placard on his dash to keep from being ticketed or towed and climbed out of the car. Taking an open booth in the far corner from the entrance, the waitress was quick to take their order as the lunchtime rush was leaving.

As soon as the waitress left with their orders Kate speaks. "What's with all this cloak and dagger stuff? Why couldn't you talk about this at the precinct?"

Rick has to smile at her stern look as she spoke. It reminded him of Alexis when she was trying to give him a lecture. "Two reasons... One," He holds up his index finger to illustrate. "Montgomery's not so subtle warning to drop your mother's case. Why would he do that? If I hadn't poked my nose into it, there's a very good chance Coonan would have walked on the murder charges."

"And we would never have tied him to my mother's case." Kate finishes his thought as he offers her a smile. "Do you think that he's tied to this somehow?"

"I honestly don't know partner. But something isn't right." Rodgers replies with a sigh. "One thing is certain, we can't let anyone know what we are doing."

Confused by his comment, Beckett inquires. "And what are we doing?"

"We're going to figure out who hired Coonan to kill your mother - if you want to." Rodgers quickly adds. "We can drop it now if you like and we'll never speak of it again."

Beckett considers her partner's offer. She is amazed that he would be willing to undertake such a task with a great deal of risk and no real reward for him. "Why would you do this for me? What do you hope to get out of this?"

Unwilling to admit his true feelings for her, Rodgers decides to be glib instead. "How about dinner tonight at my, mother's place..." He quickly adds to sway her from a quick rejection. "Bring your father and your son."

Confused by his odd offer, she simply smiles and replies. "I'll check with dad, but I'm pretty sure he's free tonight."

"Great. Then it's a date. See you at seven." Rick responds with a huge smile.

"Seven it is."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen:**

The two returned to the precinct for the remainder of their shift. They finished up the last of their paperwork on the case and sent it on to the DA's office. Rick patiently waited as he eavesdropped on her call to her father. Ending the call, she looked at him and smiled. "Dad said that dinner sounds great. He also said something about vetting the man that I spend all my time with." The last statement followed by a sassy smirk to let him know she was teasing him.

As it was Friday, Rick's team had the weekend off unless there was a body drop and Karpowski's team was busy. After everything that had happened this week he was sure that they all could use a couple of days off. He looked over at Ryan and Espo who both appeared to be bored out of their minds. Calling them over to his desk, he sends the two off for the weekend early, wishing them well as they quickly depart the bullpen.

As soon as they left, Rick stood and gestured towards the clock on the wall. "Let's call it a day." He slips on his jacket and shoves his phone in the pocket as Kate rises to her feet, doing the same. "Would you like a ride?" Rick asks.

"Sure." She replies as she grabs her purse from the desk and walks with him to the elevator.

The Beckett clan arrived at the Rodgers' loft precisely at seven. They were greeted at the door by the three Rodgers family members. As this was Jim's first time there he was impressed by the home, keenly aware of what a place like this cost in the city. He, like everyone else assumed that Martha was far more successful in her career than what she actually was. The matriarch of the Rodgers family greeted all three with hugs while Rick and Alexis exchanged polite handshakes.

Not knowing what his guests wanted to eat, he had ordered a variety of food from a Thai and Italian restaurant nearby. After taking their coats the three were escorted to the dining room. Rick had anticipated the need for a booster seat and had one in place for Nathan in the chair beside what he assumed would be Kate's. The food was laid out on the massive dining room table as Rick explained that he hoped they would find something that they liked from the spread.

As the meal got underway, the conversation seemed to begin to flow freely. Martha Rodgers was her typical flamboyant self regaling the group with stories of her career. Martha made sure to keep the others involved in he conversations, asking Jim about his job as a lawyer and Kate about life as a single mother. Something that she knew quite well.

Kate fought the urge to thank Martha for providing the fifty thousand dollars that ended up disappearing. She knew this wasn't the time or he place, but still felt that the woman was owed her gratitude for the act. Surprising both Rick and Jim, Kate spoke of the time that she and her mother had seen Martha perform in a play when she was a teen. She spoke about Johanna's love for the stage and how they would try to take in a show whenever they could. Both men were stunned as Kate rarely spoke about Johanna as the memories seemed to be too painful.

Martha could sense from the looks on the others faces just how significant her comments were and was quick to thank Kate for being a small part of a happy memory. Jim reached across the table taking his daughter's hand in his giving it a reassuring squeeze and mouthing a silent 'thank you'.

Deciding to change the subject, Rick steers the conversation to the two children at the table. Both had been on their best behavior and very quiet. While Rick didn't know about Nathan, he knew this was not the norm for his daughter. Alexis was usually the centerpiece of the dinner conversation as he rarely spoke about his job with either woman. Growing up without a father himself, Rick was all too familiar with the way other children treated him. He asked him about the preschool and what the child was learning about at the time, sincerely interested in making him feel part of the conversation.

Alexis joined into the discussion asking Nathan about the other children in his group. The boy seemed to blossom like a flower with the attention animatedly gesturing as he talked about preschool with the others. Both Jim and Kate exchange smiles, pleased to see the boy so engaged in the conversation. Kate looks to the other end of the table and watches as Rick is focused on everything the boy is saying. She couldn't help but feel a part of her protective wall that she had built around her and her son start to weaken. At least where Rick was concerned.

The meal ended and Alexis asks if Nathan could come up to her room to play. Impressed by the gesture, Kate agrees and the two run off up he stairs. Jim and Martha head for the living room with their coffees while Kate offers to stay with Rick as he clears the table. The leftovers were packaged and repeated attempts by him to get Kate to take at least part home were politely declined. The two stood side by side at the sink, Rick washing the dishes and Kate drying them. The ease the two seemed to share as cops somehow spilling over into a domestic setting like this.

Cleanup completed, the two enter the living room and watch as Martha held court with a story of her adventures raising Rick. Jim was laughing at the embarrassing story and was about to offer a similar tale about Kate when the two appeared. The glare from his daughter causes him to chuckle. "Martha was just telling me about how Rick was expelled from school for somehow getting a cow on the roof."

Everyone looks at Rick awaiting an explanation. He gives them a shrug of his shoulders and a sheepish grin. "What can I say, cows will go up stairs, but they won't go down. They had to bring in a crane to get ole Bessie down. Needless to say, I was asked to attend school elsewhere after that..."

Even Kate has to laugh at the mental image of a teenaged Richard Rodgers coaxing a cow up several flights of stairs and onto he roof of a school. "How did you get a cow in the first place?" She has to ask, knowing how odd it would be to see any farm animal in the city.

Rick just laughs at the question. "One of my classmate's family owned a farm..."

"My Katie had her wild child phase also. Although she never was thrown out of school." Jim offers as his daughter gives him 'the look', warning him to not elaborate. It was the same look that Johanna used to give him as a silent warning and Kate seemed to have learned it from her. "Did she tell you about her Harley?" Jim asks Rick as she continues to give him glare.

Both Rick and Martha were clearly surprised to learn that Kate owned a motorcycle, especially a Harley Davidson. "I'm impressed. You've got to tell us more." Rick implores the two Beckett's for details.

"I don't know, but I always wanted a big bike. I think it was the freedom that a bike seemed to give a person to go anywhere. The rush of the wind in your hair, you know. I was sixteen and went to my parents to ask for one. Of course they said no, that I'd get killed, or worse..."

"But that didn't stop Katie." Jim quickly adds. "She saves up all of her money she earned from her summer job and the next thing I know, she's asking me if she can park her bike in the family's single parking spot in the basement." He chuckles as he finishes his comment.

"Well I was eighteen and I didn't need permission by then." Kate responds, an air of defiance in her voice that causes the others to laugh also.

"And how many times did you get to ride it before you moved across the country to school?" Jim counters.

"Do you ride now?" Rick inquires, clearly impressed by his partner. "I've always wanted another bike, but hate the thought of riding alone."

"So you used to ride? What type of bike?" Kate inquires, clearly impressed by his comment.

"Long time ago. I was working for the prop master who was responsible for set construction of mother's play one summer. One of the locals that was helping us with the set, needed to sell his old BSA Lightning to pay some fine or something. I took one look at it and gave him the money. Spent the remainder of that summer following the play from one city to the next on my bike." Rick can't help but to smile at the fond memory.

"What happened to the bike?" Kate asks, intrigued by his story.

"Yes, Richard, please tell Katherine what happened to your beloved bike." Martha adds sarcastically.

Rick offers a sad smile and sighs at the memory. "I learned the hard way that a taxi cab can mangle a motorcycle beyond repair with very little effort. I spent my first semester of college trying to get from class to class with crutches and a broken leg."

Kate offers a sympathetic look to him as she glances at her watch. "It's getting late and it's past Nathan's bedtime. I've had a wonderful time, but I need to get my little man home."

Rick tries to mask the disappointment he felt at the moment. He never got to explain the real reason for inviting them to his home tonight. He had to admit that being able to see Kate openly discuss her youth and her mother only increased his affection for her. He knew that the two needed to talk about her mother's case and that they might need her father's assistance. If she wanted to continue.

Rather than say anything, he rises to his feet and extends his hand to her. "Let's go and check on the little ones."

She smiles and reaches for the proffered hand as he gently pulls her to her feet. Both Martha and Jim smile at the couple, still holding hands. Seeing their parents reaction, Kate quickly releases his hand and follows Rick up the stairs to Alexis' room. The two stood in the doorway and watched as Alexis sat at the foot of her bed reading a book while Nathan sat on the floor before her listening in rapt fascination. The two looked at each other and smiled at the sight before them. Rick was so proud of his daughter at the moment, knowing what a wonderful big sister she would be. He had always wanted another child as he was all to familiar with what it was like to be an only child.

Kate took in the sight and had similar feelings. She hoped that someday she would be able to give her son a sibling. Alexis notices the two standing by the door and stops reading. Nathan turns to see where she is looking and smiles seeing his mother standing there. He jumps to his feet and sprints to her, wrapping his arms around her legs.

She runs her fingers through the mop of hair on his head and comments. "It's time to go home little man. Did you have fun?"

"Aww, can't we stay a little while longer mom?" The little boy looks up at his mother with his best puppy dog look.

"No, not tonight Nate... Maybe next time Alexis can come to our place." Kate replies, surprising Rick with the thought of another evening together.

"I'd like that." He turns to look at Alexis. "Would you like to see my home?"

"Sure. That sounds nice." Alexis replies, seeing her father's look of pride as she spoke. "Can my dad come too?"

"Of course he can." Kate quickly answers before the boy can speak.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen:**

The next week was relatively quiet. They picked up two 'Jack shot Jill over Bill' cases, as Esposito liked to call them. In both cases the murderer was in custody with a confession less than twenty four hours after the crime. After the second case the four decided to celebrate at the cop bar nearby. Things between he and Kate seemed to have returned to the level they were at before the Coonan case and although Rick didn't want to jeopardize where they were, he knew that they had to talk. After a second round of drinks, both Ryan and Espo begged off, citing dates. Kate was keenly aware of the budding relationship between Esposito and her best friend, but had no idea who Kevin was seeing.

The two quickly excused themselves leaving Rick and Kate alone. He glances at his wristwatch and comments. "Well I guess that's my cue to go. Can I give you a ride?"

At first she was about to decline the offer, but then reconsiders. Beckett knew that there was still something off between them and she couldn't shake his comments from the day they learned of Dick Coonan's death. She had the feeling that he wanted to talk to her about the night she and her family visited the Rodgers, but never got around to it. "Sure. Let's go." She replies as she rises to her feet and slips on her coat.

The car ride started in relative silence as they slowly made their way through Friday night traffic in the city. After about ten minutes of discussion regarding the weather and the Yankees chances this season, Kate decides to find out what is really bothering her partner. "Okay Rodgers, what do you really want to discuss that you've been afraid of?"

Rick actually smiles as she asks the question, glad that she has broken the ice. "Something's been bothering me since I got dressed down by the Captain for looking into your mother's case... I mean I understand that I should have told you and for that I'm sorry. But if I hadn't found the connection between the two, Coonan might have walked on a murder rap."

"And I would have never known who killed her." Kate adds, saddened by the thought. "So where is all of this going?"

Rick pauses for a moment, wanting to make sure he tells her exactly what his plan is and hopes that she will agree. "We both know that the NYPD failed you partner. Raglan and McCallister were at the minimum lazy, if not negligent in how they handled her case...". Rick pauses as he recalls his memories from that fateful night. "My partner and I were called to the crime scene that night. We were asked to help canvass the neighborhood to find any witnesses. Of course there were none considering where it happened. And I could tell that Raglan and McCallister didn't care about solving the crime. They were content to let it go to cold cases, never to be seen again."

Hearing her partner verbalize what she had thought all these years was both reassuring and unnerving. Kate decides to remain silent and hear him out. He certainly had her attention.

Rick watches as he sees Beckett process everything that he has told her. Assuming her silence is permission to proceed, he continues. "I want to go back to the beginning. Why was your mother in Washington Heights on a cold January night and alone? Was it a client that drew her out there? Was she being setup by someone she knew? We need to know the whole story... And I want you to help me. This is so much more than murder for hire."

Beckett listens to each one of his damning questions and wonders how many times she asked them to herself. They both knew that this was much more than her mother's murder and the people behind it had connections - powerful connections. She knew that if they continued their secret investigation, they were jeopardizing their careers at a minimum. Possibly their lives if they were discovered. She wondered why he would risk everything for her and asks. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. How many more will die because this person decides that they need to?" Rick replies emotionlessly. "If you say so, I'll drop it and we'll never speak of it again. But that means both of us. I will not let you do this alone."

Kate was touched by the fierce conviction in his voice as he spoke of them together as partners either way she decided to proceed. Reaching across the seat, she takes his hand in hers and gives it a gentle squeeze just as his cruiser comes to a stop in front of her apartment building. She leans over and places a soft kiss on his cheek. "Thank you. For so long I thought that I would have to do this alone."

"Hey, that's what partners are for. To have each other's back. Always." Rick replies with a smile, somewhat stunned by her actions. "Take the weekend and think it over. Whatever you decide, I'll back your play. Oh, and one more thing..." Rick pulls her towards him and places a gentle kiss on her lips. "I've wanted to do that again since my Christmas party."

All she can do in response is offer him a shy smile as she opens the door. "Goodnight Rick. See you Monday." She climbs out of the cruiser and stands just outside.

"Until Monday then, Kate." He replies as she shuts the door with her smile seeming to grow at the use of her first name.

Kate used the stairs instead of the elevator to get to her floor, using the time to clear her head from the jumbled mess of emotions that she felt at the moment. The only thing she was sure of was that she was developing strong feelings for her partner. Feelings that were foreign to her. Beckett had went through the normal variety of feelings as a teen that she had mistaken for love at the time and knew that this was different. And that scared her.

Rick had clearly demonstrated his feelings for her in actions rather than words. He wanted to be by her side to bring down the people responsible for her mother's death - if she wanted to do so. He was also willing to drop it altogether if that was what she wanted to do.

The problem was, she had no idea what she wanted to do. If she was alone, she would charge head first after these people. But she had a son and the responsibilities that came with being a mother. Could she live with herself knowing that whomever ordered her mother's death was free? She needed to talk to the one person that could give her some perspective.

Jim was sitting in his chair, Nathan on his lap as the two were watching a cartoon on the television when Kate entered the apartment. The boy bolts from his grandfather's lap and runs to Kate, nearly leaping into her arms. "How's my little man?" Kate asks as she gives the boy a hug and a kiss.

Little Nathan proceeds to give his mother a rundown of his day's activities at daycare, followed by his conversation with his grandfather while they ate dinner. Jim had already bathed the boy and were waiting for Kate's arrival before sending him off to bed. "Give grandpa Jim a kiss goodnight and I'll ready you a story." Kate tells her son as she slips out of her shoes and hangs her coat on the rack by the door.

Nate scurries over to Jim and gives him a hug and a kiss before running to his room. He's already in bed by the time Kate enters the room. She picks up the book sitting on the nightstand and opens it to the spot where she had left off the night before. Kate places a kiss on his forehead as she tucks him in for the night, before sitting down on the edge of the bed and continuing the story. She watches as his eyes start to close and moments later his breathing evens out in sleep as she reads the story to him. Marking the spot in the story she had gotten to, she closes the book and returns it to the nightstand after placing another kiss on his cheek and whispering goodnight.

By the time she returned to the living room, the television was off and Jim was back to reading one of the Western novels that he seemed to enjoy. Kate hated to interrupt his quiet time, but really needed his wisdom. "Dad, could we talk?"

Jim closes the book and gives her a wary look. He could sense by the tone of her voice that she was nervous about something. "Sure thing Katie. What do you want to talk about?"

Kate sighs as she sits down in the easy chair beside his. "I really don't know where to begin..."

"The beginning is usually the best place to start." Jim replies with a smile, hoping to ease the tension.

"I guess this all started after I was working on a case about six months ago... The victim had been missing for five years before her body was dumped at a construction site. The cops assigned to the case in the beginning were quick to write off her disappearance as nothing more than wanderlust. The truth was her husband had killed her and stuffed her body into a freezer and she might never have been found if he wasn't killed six months before her body was found."

"I remember you talking about the case. Didn't the victim's father kill the husband?" Jim comments. "Does this have something to do with what is troubling you?"

"Not exactly. Rick had seen how upset I was from the way the original cops shoddy work seemed like the way they handled mom's case. He decided to look into her case on his own to see if something had been missed. I knew nothing about it at the time and he never mentioned it - until the Coonan case. Lanie discovered that the victim was killed with the exact same weapon and the same way as mom."

"My god Katie! How did she know that?" Jim inquires, stunned by the revelation.

"Rick had hired the best forensic pathologist in the country to review mom's autopsy. He found discrepancies and errors in it that proved her death was not a random act. It was a professional hit by a skilled assassin. Rick had given Lanie this report months earlier and she was able to compare it with those from our victim. The weapon and method used were identical. We knew that whoever killed our victim also was responsible for mom's death."

"During our investigation we discovered the the victim was a foot soldier for the Irish mob. He had been tracking down who was supplying heroin to the locals. The drugs traced back to a guy that was bringing them in through shipments of DVD's from the Far East. When we brought him in for questioning, he told us that he was being coerced into transporting the drugs by the victim's brother."

"We arrested him and he all but confessed that he had hired the killer. We knew this may be our only chance at catching the man responsible for mom's death, so we offered him a deal to reveal the assassin in exchange for a his freedom from a murder charge. He agreed to the deal, but it required money to secure the assassin's services. Money we didn't have."

Kate spent another ten minutes going over the details of their failed attempt to capture the assassin only to discover that Dick Coonan was the killer. It was when she explained how Coonan was murdered while in custody that Jim had already guessed that someone who had hired Dick in the past wanted him dead. Possibly whomever wanted Johanna dead.

She then told him about Rick's offer to continue their investigation into Johanna's murder, but only as a team. Jim had already guessed that in spite of her desire to dive in, something was holding her back from doing so. Actually it was someone.

"Are you wanting me to tell you to continue pursuing it, or do you want me to tell you to stop, that it's too dangerous?" Jim inquires. "It's obvious that whoever hired the assassin has a lot of power and connections. As much as I'd like to see the people responsible for your mother's death punished, the risk to your career and possibly your life, is too high."

Kate reaches across to her father's chair and takes his hand into hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you dad. That's exactly what I needed to hear. As badly as I want to see the person responsible for her death put away forever, I'm not willing to put you or anyone else that I care about in harms way. We have to be grateful that the man that actually committed the act will never hurt another." Kate gets out of her chair and moves to her father's and places a kiss on his cheek. "I love you dad. Thanks."

"Love you too Katie bug." Jim replies as she heads off to her room.

Kate went to bed that night confident that leaving the case alone was the right thing to do. No one besides her captain, her best friend, Kevin, Javier and Rick knew about the connection between Coonan and her mother. As far as everybody else was concerned, Coonan's death while in custody was merely random prison violence. And she was sure that Rick was right when he said that they didn't know who they could trust. Hell, Rick was even suspicious of their boss. The man that had taken her under his wing and brought her along with him when he took over the twelfth. Kate was sure that she could trust him.

She arrived at the precinct her normal time Monday morning and was pleased to see the coffee and bear claw sitting on her desk waiting. She greeted Rick and the other detectives, making small talk and inquiring about their weekends. As there was no active case, the group spent their time doing paperwork and helping the DA prep for an upcoming trial. Rick offered to pick up lunch for his team and Kate volunteered to go with him.

It was during the car ride to Remys that she informed him of her decision. She was mildly surprised when he simply shrugged his shoulders and said 'Okay'. The next month was spent with the normal mixture of Jack shot Jill over Bill type cases and a couple that required serious investigative work. They managed to close every one and were gaining a reputation as one of the elite teams in the city. This did not go unnoticed by the brass in one PP, who were pushing Rodgers to take his lieutenants exam.

This was about the same time that the first Nikki Heat novel hit the bookstores. The initial reviews were glowing, raving about the attention to detail. A few were convinced that the author was a cop, or had strong ties to law enforcement. The fact that the mysterious Richard Castle was the author only added to the rumors and speculation regarding his true identity. Rick was pleased to see that it had risen to the New York Times top ten fiction novels after only one week and that sales were ever greater than expected. The third printing was underway as the first and second were already sold out.

Professionally, Rick was doing well with both careers yet felt little satisfaction. The more time he spent with his partner, the more his feelings grew for her. He squashed these feelings on a daily basis not wanting to risk what they had as co-workers. Together, they were a formidable duo, with one of the best case closure rates in the city. They were able to complete each other's thoughts and often offered the same ideas simultaneously. This earned more than a fair amount of razzing from their fellow detectives. Lanie had called it 'a shared mind thingy', which seemed to be true.

Kate's natural skills as a detective flourished working with Rick. He made sure that she got credit when she came up with a theory that led to an arrest. He often let her take the lead on a case, content to offer his thoughts only when solicited by her. He made sure that she had her coffee every morning and often forced her to eat lunch by physically removing her from the precinct when she would become so caught up in a case that she forgot to do so.

There was a natural ease when he was with her. An ability to communicate with each other through glances and body language. Kate confided in him with her issues as a single parent and he did the same drawing from each other's experiences. They even set aside one night a month where they got together with their children for usually a meal and some public event like the circus, or a Yankees game. Both were quick to notice how natural it felt together, almost like a family, yet both were afraid of losing what they already had by allowing a physical relationship to develop.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty:**

 _ **June 2003 -**_

It was the height of the wedding season when they picked up the case that would change their relationship. Rick and Kate had just returned from the Memorial Day weekend in the Hamptons where the Rodgers and Beckett clans shared a beachfront home. Both families had shared the large home that belonged to a friend of Martha, which was true. What the Becketts didn't know was that Rick was actually trying it out in anticipation of purchase. Seeing just how much Kate and Nathan seemed to enjoy being there gave him daydreams of their two partial families merging into one.

Kate also seemed to be more at ease around him and her son. He completely understood her overprotective nature of strangers being around Nathan as he was the same way with Alexis. They frequently bumped shoulders or other forms of innocent physical contact and neither acted as if it was anything other than normal. And after seeing Kate in her swimsuit lounging by the pool with a book, he felt anything but normal. In spite of it being what many would say a conservative one-piece suit, there was no doubt in his mind that she may be the most beautiful woman that he had ever seen. Lying there with her oversized sunglasses and unbeknownst to her, one of his novels, she looked like a goddess.

Both Ryan and Espo had their share of teasing remarks about their weekend together. They were disappointed to hear that nothing happened as they knew that Rick was head over heels infatuated with Beckett and they were pretty sure she felt that way for him. Neither man could understand what was holding them back other than it would end their partnership if discovered.

The call came in of a body drop at the Four Seasons hotel. The four detectives would meet Lanie who was already on the scene with the CSI personnel. Rick and Kate went to find Lanie while Ryan and Espo began to canvas the area for potential witnesses. She looked up from the victim as the two were approaching, a huge grin forming on her face. "Well if it isn't the twelfth precinct's power couple. So how was your weekend?"

Both Beckett and Rodgers blushed a brilliant shade of red causing the ME to laugh out loud. Trying to regain some control of the situation, Rick calmly inquires. "What have you got?"

"Victim's name is Sophie Ronson, thirty five. From LA. She was a bridesmaid for a wedding that was scheduled for today. Preliminary cause of death appears to be strangulation, but I won't know for sure until I bring her in."

"Who found the body?" Kate inquires as she sees Ryan speaking to the bride-to-be.

Lanie looks up and points to where Ryan is standing. Rick looks to where she is pointing as the blood seems to drain from his face as he realizes who she is pointing at. Before she can speak, Rick identifies the woman. "Kyra Blaine."

Both women give Rodgers a puzzled look after he speaks the woman's name in a near whisper and looks as if he has been struck by something. "And just how would you know that? Care to share with the rest of the class detective?" Lanie inquires.

"No. Excuse me." Rick quickly replies and walks over to where the bride is standing, leaving the two women even more confused than before.

Kate and Lanie watch from where they were as Rick approaches the bride. Upon seeing him, she shares an equally stunned look on her face as Rodgers had upon seeing her. But unlike Rick, the woman's shocked look quickly turns into a sad smile as she gives him an awkward hug.

"Girlfriend, there's history between the two of them." Lanie comments, seeing the bride with Rodgers. "What are you gonna do about that?"

Kate's mind was filled with potential reasons for her partner's reaction to seeing the bride-to-be and none of them were good. Besides, it wasn't like they were dating. They were only work partners. "What do you want me to do?" She inquires.

"You're the detective. Go and detect who she is and why he' s so upset seeing her." Lanie replies and returns her attention to the victim.

Ryan has moved away from the two as Beckett approaches. He sees her nearing them and decides to make the introduction. "Detective Kate Beckett, I'd like you to meet Kyra Blane, the bride-to-be. Kyra, I'd like you to meet Detective Beckett, my partner."

Kate extended her hand and the two women exchange pleasantries. "So how do you know Detective Rodgers?" Kate inquires.

Kyra smiles and looks at Rick before speaking. "We went to school together. I sill can't get over the fact that you're a cop. Of all the things that I could have seen you become, this would be way down my list..."

Kate can't help but bristle at her comment as if being a cop was beneath him, but before she could, Rick responds. "Maybe your mother was right about me. She always thought that I'd be a bum." The bitterness in his voice was apparent to both women.

"No, Rick. That's not what I meant at all." Kyra quickly replies, not wanting an already disastrous situation to digress even further. "I just thought that with your success as a writer..." She stops as she can see the distressed look on his face and the look of confusion on his partner's. "If you don't have any further questions, I need to speak to the hotel management about canceling the wedding and the reception dinner." Kyra quickly turns and walks away before either could speak.

"I need you to take the lead on this partner." Rick calmly states. "And I know you have a million questions at the moment, but can we please hold off until we're someplace private?"

Surprised that Rick would so readily relinquish control of the investigation to her, she offers a smile and replies. "Sure thing, partner. But I expect answers to every question."

Rick sighs and gives her a defeated look. "Sure thing Beckett." He then turns and walks out of the hotel room, Kate following behind.

After interviewing the wedding guests, they were able to put together that Sophie was last seen during the rehearsal dinner the night before. No one seemed to remember when she left the dinner. They had interviewed every member of the wedding party except the best man. Suspicions arose immediately that he was somehow involved until he was discovered locked in a maintenance closet. He claimed that the victim had drugged him and blood samples were taken.

Deciding to head back to the precinct to talk to Lanie, Rodgers and Beckett leave the hotel. They climb into the cruiser and as soon as they pull away Rick can sense that his partner expects the answers he promised earlier. "Kyra and I dated for three years... I thought that she was the one, so I planned on proposing to her when I graduated. I was about to do so when she informed me that she was leaving for the summer to 'figure things out'. Her mother never liked me because she didn't see me as 'suitable' marriage material for Kyra and I'm sure that she helped her make the decision to take a break." Rick making air quotes as he speaks.

"The last time I saw her before today was at Grand Central Station when she left for the summer over a decade ago. I knew that we were through, but that didn't make it hurt any less." He pauses, knowing that the easy part was over, if you call reopening a wound from over ten years earlier easy. No, the next part of his story would be much more difficult. "After Kyra left, I tried to continue with my first love - writing. My first novel had just been published, my second one was being edited at the time and my third one was nearly complete. I somehow managed to complete the third one, but couldn't find the desire to write again."

Kate is surprised to hear that her partner was a published writer and fights back the urge to interrupt his speech. She can also see just how hard this was for him to explain, so she remains silent.

"I fulfilled my contract to my publisher, who based upon the sales of my novels, decided not to offer me a second one. Instead of feeling hurt, I felt relief as I had no desire to write. I heard from a friend that the NYPD was starting a new class the next month... And the rest you know. Well at least the important parts." Rick offers a sad smile as he pauses to see her reaction.

"Written anything I might have read?" Kate inquires in a teasing voice and a grin.

"Does A Hail of Bullets, A Rose Forever After, or Flowers for her Grave ring any bells?" Rick offers with a nervous laugh.

Rick waits and tries to sneak glances at his partner as he navigates the busy city traffic. The gobsmacked look on her face as she puts the clues together would have been funny if things weren't so serious. "Are you trying to say that you've Richard Castle the writer?" Kate asks, not believing the words as they leave her mouth.

"No, I'm trying to tell you that I'm still Richard Rodgers, NYPD detective. Richard Castle is my nom de plume, a name I use to protect myself and family from the media." Rick replies hoping that this will end the questions for at least a little while.

But Kate Beckett was as smart as she was beautiful and replayed every word that he had spoken. "You said that you lost the will to write, yet you just published your first novel in nearly a decade. What changed?"

"I met you." Rick replies solemnly.

Kate was glad that Rick was driving at the moment as she was too stunned by the influx of information to do anything other than stare at the man that she thought she knew sitting beside her. Suddenly, things started to fall into place like why he was so sure that Richard Castle wasn't involved in the copycat murder they investigated. It then dawns on her why she felt like she knew the character Nikki Heat - she was Nikki Heat. Or at least a fictionalized version of herself. A million thoughts raced through her mind as she considered that prospect. Nikki Heat was a strong, intelligent, beautiful woman than exuded confidence. She also had no problem going after what she wanted sexually. Kate then considered the description of Nikki's romantic interest in the novel, Jameson Rook. How the description of him in the book was so close to her partner both physically and personality wise.

She thought about the dedication in his book. She now knew who the mysterious 'K. B.' was in his previous novels. 'Why would he dedicate his latest novel to a woman that he hadn't seen in a decade?' She wondered. But then it struck her like a cold dash of water in her face. 'I was the K. B. that he dedicated his novel to. Did I really inspire him to write again?'

"I'm sure that you've confused and angry at me right now... Richard Castle is a part of me that I thought was long gone - until I met you. Your intelligence, beauty, and strength of character gave me the inspiration to write again. "

"Why didn't you tell me? I thought that we were partners." Kate inquires, the hurt apparent in her voice.

"I didn't want it to change things between us. It didn't change who I am or what I do for a living. I'm a cop who used to be a writer."

"But that's not true. You just released a novel. A novel that is doing very well from what I've read. This isn't some minor thing like an embarrassing hobby. This is big. What other earth shattering details are you holding back on me?" Kate counters, still trying to control the hurt she felt.

"I'm sorry for not telling you about this. I was always hoping that there would be a time that I could tell you, but this case forced my hand and I wanted you to know before you found out from someone else. Can you forgive me?" Rick comments, his tone pleading.

They pull into Rick's parking spot at the precinct and Kate nearly bolts from the car, wanting to increase the physical distance between her and her partner at this moment. Rodgers climbs out of the cruiser and follows her down to the morgue, maintaining a safe distance between them until she entered the morgue. Lanie was sitting in her office, dictating her notes into a voice recorder. She sees the two detectives approaching and gestures for them to enter. The grin she has fading as she sees the grim looks on the two's faces.

"Uh oh, looks like somebody kicked your puppies." Lanie comments with a smirk.

"What do you have for us Lanie?" Kate inquires, all business.

The ME arches her eyebrows in surprise at the tone of her friend. Getting up from her seat, she walks out of her office and into the examination room as both detectives follow. She opens the door of the storage unit that contains Sophie's body, sliding the drawer out. She lifts the sheet covering the corpse as she starts to speak. "Cause of death was strangulation as I suspected. Sometime between one and two in the morning. Her blood alcohol level was a little over .12, drunk, but not falling down drunk." She grabs the body by the shoulder and lifts it to reveal the upper back. "See those abrasions on her back? They have metal particles in them. As best as I can guess, platinum."

"The killer was wearing platinum jewelry." They both respond at the same time, which causes the ME to smile.

"That's so cute." Lanie offers a sarcastic look at the two as they both blush at her remark.

"Anything else?" Kate asks, trying to regain her composure.

"Oh, one more thing." She points to the victim's ears. "She's missing an earring. It looks like it was ripped out of her ear. I didn't find it at the scene, so wherever it is, is probably where our victim was killed."

"Thank you Lanie. You've been a big help." Rick replies and exits the examination room, leaving Kate with her friend.

As soon as Rodgers was out of sight, the ME turns to face her friend. "Okay girl, spill it. What's going on between you and Rick?" The look on her face left no doubt that she expected answers.

"I don't know where to begin." Kate replies as she tries to reconcile everything that she's learned about her partner in the last few hours. "I just found out that the bride to be at our murder just happened to be my partner's college sweetheart."

"Was it serious?" Lanie quickly asks.

"They were together for three years. He told me that he had planned on proposing to her, so yes, I'd say it was serious." Kate replies with a little more sarcasm than what she intended.

"So what happened?"

"She broke it off. Just up and left him from the way Rodgers tells it. Sounds like he may not have gotten along with the bride's mother."

"Do you think that he still has feelings for her?" Lanie inquires, genuinely interested in all the juicy details.

"I don't know. When he saw her standing there in her wedding gown, he looked like someone had sucker punched him. But then he seemed to be pleased to see her and it was obvious that she was happy."

"How do you feel about it?" Lanie inquires, hoping to provoke a response from her friend that would confirm her feelings for her partner.

"How am I supposed to feel?" Beckett counters feigning nonchalance at the question. She pauses for a moment, debating if she should tell her friend the real reason she was so upset at this moment. Kate guesses that Lanie will find out sooner rather than later anyway, so she continues. "But that's only part of the story..." She teases.

"Spill it girlfriend." Lanie responds, giving Kate a glare that causes both women to laugh.

"When we left the hotel, I could tell that Rodgers was nervous about something. I assumed it had something to do with this Kyra woman... and I was partially right. It seems that my partner was a writer when he was with her."

"So?" Lanie counters, nonplussed by her friend's delay in the story.

"It appears that my partner was a little more successful as a writer than what he would have admitted to. Have you ever heard of Richard Castle?" Kate inquires, trying to suppress a laugh seeing the shocked look on her friend's face.

"No way! You're trying to tell me that Ricky Rodgers is Richard Castle!" Lanie gasps. "Are you sure?"

"Why would he lie about something like that?" Kate counters. "I don't think he would have ever told anyone if it wasn't for the fact that he was afraid that his old flame would out him." There was a bitter tinge to her voice as she spoke. "Everything makes sense now. His conviction that Richard Castle could not have been involved in that copycat case we had last year. How he came up with the fifty grand so quickly."

"So you've got a rich boyfriend." Lanie teases. "You should be thrilled. You know he's crazy about you."

Kate considers her friends comments. He admitted that she was the inspiration for the main character in his new novel. She considers his dedication in his novel and realizes that she also shares the same initials as those of his college sweetheart. 'Did he dedicate Nikki Heat to me?' She wonders.

Trying to regain her composure, Kate forces the conversation back to the topic at hand. "We need to solve this case and then I can worry about everything else later."

The ME gives her friend skeptical look, knowing that her friend is struggling with what she had discovered about her partner and can only hope she does the right thing.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One:**

Rodgers was sitting at his desk, talking on the phone to Ryan when Beckett returned from the morgue. Her face was an emotionless mask, which worried Rick more than if she came in angry. Angry he thought he could deal with, or at least he understood. He was still dealing with the effects of seeing the woman that he had once considered his one and done for the first time in over a decade. Not knowing what his partner was thinking just added to his discomfort.

The conversation turned back to the case at hand. Rick relayed to her the recent call he had with Ryan and Espo who were still at the hotel. He turns to his partner before he speaks. "The guys are bringing the groom in for questioning. When they guys searched the best man's room for any evidence of Sophie being there, they discovered that his room was next to the groom's. The door separating the rooms was unlocked, so they decided to look in there also. They found the victim's missing earring near the bed."

"Why was she in his room?" Kate inquires, puzzled by the revelation.

"Based upon what they learned from the other bridesmaids, the groom to be and Sophie used to date. In fact, Kyra met him because of Sophie. I guess that's why Kyra made her a bridesmaid." Rick replies.

A few minutes later the groom to be was sitting in the interrogation room, waiting for Beckett to enter with Esposito. Rick honored her request to watch from behind the two way mirror, understanding that due to his history with the bride to be, they wanted nothing to appear out of the norm.

Greg Murphy sat at the table along with his uncle Ted who was also his attorney. He advised his client to offer nothing to the detectives. Even when confronted with the evidence they had of the victim being in Greg's room, 'Uncle Teddy' was confrontational, assuring his nephew that they had nothing and demanded his client's release at once.

"Fine, you're free to go." Kate replies. The two men get up from the table and are about to leave the room when she comments. "How will your fiancé react when she hears that Sophie was in your room only minutes before she was murdered?"

Greg seems to deflate and stops his exit. "I came up to my room a little after one. Everyone had been drinking last night. I saw a lump in my bed under the covers. I thought that it was Kyra, so I crawled into bed and snuggled up against her. But then she rolls over and I see that it was Sophie. I freaked out and started yelling at her as she tried to keep me in bed. I finally broke free and was standing over the bed, demanding that she leave the room."

"She got out of the bed, very drunk and very naked and threw herself at me. Spouting a bunch of nonsense about me making a huge mistake. I tried to get her off of me and she fell, hitting the floor. She went to the bathroom and dressed, then slipped out through the connecting doors between mine and the best man's room. I would never cheat on Kyra."

There was something about the way Murphy spoke that convinced Beckett that he was telling the truth. "Don't leave town unless you notify this office first." She tells the young man as his uncle practically drags him from the room.

Espo turns to face Beckett and asks. "What now? He was our best suspect."

"We look into our victim. Find out if there's any reason she would have been in Murphy's room." Kate replies.

She returns to her desk a few moments later. Rodgers is already seated at his desk, working on his computer. Not knowing any way to be subtle with her current train of thought, Kate looks at her partner and inquires. "Do you think that the bride would be capable of killing Sophie?"

All Rick can do is offer her an incredulous look in response. He starts to say something, but Kate is quicker. "Hear me out... What if Kyra decided to go to her fiancé's room just as Greg and Sophie were in the middle of whatever they were doing. She follows her back to her room and confronts her. An altercation ensues and she strangles her."

"Kyra would never do that." Rick answers emphatically. "Besides, Sophie was a good three inches taller than Kyra. She would have to have been standing on stool to have the same angle as the bruises on Sophie's neck. And whoever strangled her had bigger hands than Kyra."

Kate listens to her partner and knows that he is right. Whoever killed Sophie was taller and stronger than her as she had put up a fight. She didn't know why she was disappointed to exclude Kyra so quickly. 'I'm not jealous of the way he was affected by her. Am I?'

The two sat there and continued working in silence. Ryan and Espo reviewed videos that were taken during the rehearsal dinner looking to see what happened to Sophie. Rick was checking her financial records when he discovers something that didn't make sense. He looks across his desk to where his partner is seated, staring at her monitor. "Sophie had about fifty dollars in her bank account, yet she flies across the country for a wedding? From what I can gather from the guest statements, Sophie was barely friends with Kyra."

"We should speak to the guests again and see if they knew how she came up with the money to come all the way across the country for the wedding of her ex to a woman she barely knew... Maybe you could speak to Kyra and find out why she would choose Sophie to be a bridesmaid?" Kate comments while never letting her gaze move from her computer.

The thought of facing Kyra again was not what he had in mind. It was hard enough seeing her on what should have been the happiest day of her life and if he was honest with himself, he'd never truly gotten over the hurt from her rejection all those years ago. Knowing that if he tried to refuse speaking to her would be an admission of exactly how he felt at the moment, he pushes himself up from his chair and looks at his partner. "Let's go." Is all he says as he walks away before she can get up herself.

The ride back to the hotel was spent in silence. Kate silently watches her partner as his anxiety seems to grow the closer they get to their destination. As they entered the lobby, Beckett spots Kyra having what appeared to be a heated debate with an older woman. Kate could sense that whatever the bride to be was saying to the older woman was not being received well at all. Kate was about five feet away when she turns to see Rick still standing by the hotel entrance. The look on his face confirmed that he knew the woman that was with Kyra.

She gives him an angry scowl and gestures for him to come to where she was standing, much like she would with Nathan. She has to smile seeing the frown appear on his face that reminds her of her son when he is forced to do something that he doesn't want to do. By the time he closes the distance between the two of them, Kyra also sees him and calls out. Both detectives approached the two women, the older one now turning to see Rick standing there beside Kate.

"Richard Rodgers... well it appears that I was wrong about you." She speaks with disdain as she gives him an appraising look. "I always thought that you'd end up teaching English Literature at some community college somewhere."

Kyra at least had the manners to look thoroughly embarrassed by the woman's rude remark, while Kate's whole body seems to tense.

Rodgers can only smile as he speaks. "Ah, Shelia it's good to see you too." The sarcasm in his voice apparent, before he turns to face his partner. "Katherine Beckett, I'd like to introduce you to Shelia Blane, Kyra's mother. You see, Shelia was convinced that I wasn't worthy of her daughter. Right Shelia?"

"The facts speak for themselves." Shelia snaps back in response, seeing the shocked look on both Kate and Kyra's faces.

Beckett decides that she has heard enough from this pompous woman and decides to speak. "Sorry to interrupt your little stroll down memory lane, but we're here to investigate a murder and I have a few questions for you Ms Blane." The tone of her voice left no doubt that she was in no mood to tolerate the woman, or her remarks regarding her partner.

Kyra gives both Rick and Kate an apologetic look and replies. "Anything I can do to help."

Angered at being interrupted by the two detectives, Shelia stands firm where she is and glares at Beckett. Kate actually smiles at the thought that she is upsetting her and continues. "We've done a little digging into Sophie's finances and it looks like she didn't have enough money to be a part of this wedding. Did you pay for her?"

"No, Greg's uncle Teddy paid for her dress. I saw him in the boutique with her the day before the rehearsal." Shelia blurts out before Kyra could speak. "The two looked pretty cozy together..."

Kate has to smile as they now had a new suspect, although she still had no reason why Teddy would have murdered her. "Oh, one more question, who's idea was it to make Sophie a bridesmaid? I mean, wasn't it a bit awkward to have one of your fiancé's ex girlfriends as a part of your wedding?"

"I met Greg because of Sophie. We were friends before I met him. I knew that they dated, but Greg assured me that it was never serious between them. I asked her to be a bridesmaid as a way of thanking her for helping us get together." Kyra replies.

"Thank you for your help on this. We'll be in touch if we discover anything." Kate remarks in her most professional voice.

Rick looks at the two Blane women standing before him and speaks. "Kyra, it was good to see you... Shelia, I'd like to say the pleasure was all mine, but we both know that's a lie." He turns and walks away before the elder Blane can offer a retort of her own.

Kate looked at Shelia and then at Kyra with a look of disgust. "Did you know that Rick has the number one selling novel in the country at this moment? Did you know that he's the type of guy that would give fifty thousand dollars to someone he barely knew to help right a wrong? No, he didn't measure up because his bank account didn't have enough zeros." Kate turns and starts to walk away, barely able to keep her anger.

"No, it's about class, and Richard had none." Shelia sarcastically replies, which causes Kate to stop and turn to face the woman.

"And just how would you know? You wouldn't know class if it bit you on your ass, you pompous bitch." Kate was nearly growling as she spoke. The stunned look on the two Blaine women's faces in response to her remark forced her to suppress a smug smile of victory. She turned and walked to where her partner was standing with a look of awe on his face.

The two climbed into the cruiser and were soon in the middle of Manhattan traffic before Rodgers breaks the silence. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that."

Kate smiles at him and replies. "Yes I did. Partners look out for each other." Her smile then turns to a sly grin. "And to think, that could have been your mother in law..." Her smile then turns to a full laugh seeing Rick's body shuddering and a look of disgust on his face reminiscent of her son's when he tastes something 'icky'.

The remainder of the ride to the precinct was spent in silence as each one thought about their partner. Rick's feelings for Kate only grew after her defense of him combined with her dressing down of Shelia. Kate realized what a wonderfully complex man her partner was. Articulate and professional, yet child like and caring, she could see herself spending her life with him. And for the first time, the thought didn't frighten her.

They arrived at the precinct and were soon on the elevator to their floor. Rick had been unusually quiet and sneaking glances at her the entire trip back. She could sense that he wanted to say something to her, but was afraid. As the doors closed, Kate looks at her partner and quietly inquires. "What's wrong?"

He shyly looks at her and replies in a whisper. "I'm in love with my partner and I don't know what to do." His body stiffens a little after he speaks, preparing himself for her rejection.

Stunned by Rick's profession, Kate realizes that these feelings that she had felt building for her partner were more than simple affection. She had never really felt the way she did about Rick. She hadn't been in love with Rogan and her high school boyfriends were nothing more than infatuation. What she felt for Rick was different. She looks at her partner standing there, fully expecting her rejection and decides that actions speak louder than words.

Beckett closes the distance between them, and places a gentle kiss on his lips. She pulls away a little and replies. "The feeling's mutual."

The smile that appears on his face reminded her of her son on Christmas morning. He wraps his arms around her, pulling her to his chest as he returns the kiss. The kiss continues until the ding of the elevator chime indicates they have arrived at their floor. Reluctantly, he releases her from his hold and the two quickly try to put on their professional faces as the doors open.

Ryan and Espo were working at their desks when the two walked into the bullpen. Both men can sense that there is something different about the two detectives, but had no clue what it could be. At least at that moment. Before either could speak, Beckett does. "I need you two to check into the finances of Ted Murphy. It appears that he may have been the source of money for Sophie's wedding expenses."

Rick and Kate returned to their desks and started checking into Uncle Teddy also. They both exchanged glances at each other as they tried to focus on the task at hand. Neither knew how to process the other's admission on the elevator. Both knew that a romantic relationship between coworkers would result in them being separated. Something that neither wanted.

The afternoon seemed to drag on as each one gathered little bits of information that helped paint a not so flattering picture of Ted. Rick decided that it was time to compare what they had each found and calls them into the conference room. As they discussed their findings, it became clear that they needed to bring Ted in for further questioning. Rodgers sends Ryan and Esposito back to the hotel to bring Murphy in for questioning.

Rick and Kate returned to the bullpen and try to act normal. Nearly a half hour later, Rick receives a call from Ryan telling him that Teddy had checked out of his room and was on his way back to Los Angeles. Rodgers assures Ryan that everything is fine and to head out to JFK with Espo. As soon as the call ends, Rick makes a call to a friend of his at TSA telling him to detain Ted as he attempts to clear airport security as he was a suspect in a murder. He also asks the person he was talking to to thoroughly check his luggage for anything that may be made from platinum.

Three hours later, Ted Murphy confessed to killing Sophie because she refused to follow through with his plan to sabotage his nephew's wedding. They had uncovered proof that Murphy had been living the good life thanks to the money that had been put in trust for Greg by his deceased parents. The trust was due to become payable as soon as he was married. Having no way to pay back the money that he had embezzled, Ted decided to enlist Sophie to seduce Greg and then let Kyra find out. What Ted didn't consider was that Greg was in love with Kyra and that he would never cheat on her.

Sophie had a change of heart after her failed attempt to seduce Greg and was confronted by Teddy. Enraged and panicked, Ted strangles her, stuffing Sophie in the closet. At first Murphy denies everything until the platinum tie bar was discovered by TSA during their search of his luggage. Unwittingly, Ted allowed the damning evidence to be gathered by the act of carrying it onto the flight.

Once Ted was taken away, Rick knew he had one more thing to do. In spite of the late hour, he asks Kate if she would like to go with him. The trip to the hotel was filled with awkward small talk, neither really knowing just what to say at that moment. Once there, the two went to Kyra's suite. She was there with Greg when the two detectives enter. Rick calmly explains what has happened regarding Sophie's murder, making sure Kyra understood that Greg's love for her was what made her bridesmaid change her mind. He explained how Uncle Teddy had pilfered Greg's trust fund and was trying to stop the wedding to buy time.

Greg was stunned to learn that the man he had trusted completely had been capable of such a heinous act. He thanked both Rick and Kate for getting justice for Sophie. Rodgers shakes his hand and congratulates the man, then walks to Kyra, giving her a hug and kiss on the cheek. He wishes them the best and starts to leave, Kate is following closely behind him. She's nearly out the door when Kyra calls out to her, closing the distance between them.

Rick stands in the hallway, as Kate and Kyra exchange whispered words for several seconds. The two women smile and exchange a hug as they separate. Rick can't help but notice the serene look on Kate's face as they exit the hotel and get back into the cruiser.

The curiosity at what had been discussed between the two women was killing him and he finally had to ask. "Okay, what did Kyra say about me?"

"Why do you think that we were talking about you?" Kate responds with a sly smile. She remains silent for another moment or two, enjoying the look of terror on his face. "She said that she could tell that you were in love with me... and that she was happy that you had moved on like she had. Kyra said that you were all mine. She was right, wasn't she?"

"Yes."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two:**

The following month was spent trying to adjust to the changes in their lives by their profession of love for each other. They had only managed to have one night out together as a couple and even that ended prematurely due to a call from her son who had came down with a cold. Rick had gone so far as booking a suite at one of the most exclusive hotels in the city, hoping for a chance to spend the night together as a couple. Although disappointed, he understood Kate's need to take care of her child as he would have done the same himself. In fact, it made him love her even more and he told her as much.

The outings for movies, meals, and other events as a group became a regular occurrence, happening at least once a week. Alexis grew more comfortable being around Kate as Nathan did with Rick. Both could sense just how natural they seemed to be together. How they were two halves of a whole family.

Work on the other hand, had become increasingly difficult for them to conceal their feelings for each other. Lanie had figured it out, but was sworn to secrecy by Kate. Rick was sure that both Ryan and Espo knew also, but was sure that they would keep their secret also.

Montgomery, on the other hand was the big unknown. He could split them up if he even suspected them being anything other than coworkers. As Roy had taken Kate under his wing since she was a rookie patrolman, Rick was sure that he would notice the change in her behavior. Most notably, was the fact that Kate seemed to smile more and everyone seemed to notice the confidence that she exhibited. Part of the change was simply her gaining experience as a detective.

Rick had started letting the other members of his team take the lead on cases to help boost their confidence in their abilities and Kate seemed to shine. Rodgers knew that it wouldn't be long before she moved up the ranks and he was proud of her. The thought of her moving on to lead her own team actually pleased him as it would allow them to end the act that they had to put on at work.

Everything changed when Kate received a phone call a few weeks later from John Raglan asking her if she could meet him to discuss her mother's case. Stunned by request, she quickly complies and they agree to meet at a diner not far from his apartment. As soon as the call ends, a puzzled Beckett looks across the desk at her partner who appeared to be lost in paperwork. Rising up from her seat, she slips on her jacket and grabs her purse.

Rodgers catches the movement from the corner of his eye and inquiries. "Something wrong?"

Stopping her exit, she turns to face her partner. "Just got a call from Raglan. Said that he wanted to talk to me about my mother's case."

Rick's whole body seemed to tense at the mention of her mother's murder. Since their profession of love for each other, there had been an unspoken agreement between the two to put things on hold until they developed a strategy for how to approach her case. Both were sure that whomever had ordered her mother's death were in a position of power and wealth. Pushing himself away from his desk, Rick rises to his feet as he slips on his jacket. "I'm going with you." Rodgers replies, his tone resolute.

Rick drives the two of them to the diner still wondering why Raglan wanted to speak to Kate. As they enter, the duo sees Raglan alone in a booth nervously stirring a cup of coffee. He looks up as they approach, frowning when he recognizes Rick. "Detective Beckett, I thought that I was clear that I'd only talk to you alone."

Rick can only offer the man a somber look. "It's good to see you too John. How's retirement treating you?" Rodgers tries to not smirk at the man as he speaks. "Detective is my partner. Where she goes, I go. Besides, I can tell when you're lying."

"Yeah, how's that?" Raglan inquires.

"Your lips move." Rodgers replies sarcastically.

"Fuck you." Raglan snarls and starts to slide out of the booth.

Rick blocks his exit putting his hand on John's shoulder. "Sit down. You called Beckett here to talk. And she's here. So talk." The tone of his voice left no room for argument.

Raglan stops his attempt to exit as Kate slides into the booth facing him. Rick stood there for a moment waiting until he was sure that Raglan was going to remain seated, before sliding into the seat beside Kate.

Raglan sat there stirring his coffee again, trying not to look at the people setting across from him. "You know, I've been coming to this diner for thirty years for their coffee..." He pauses, as if searching for the words to say. "I thought that once I retired, that I'd move to Florida and buy myself a place on the beach... live the good life. But my doctor tells me that's not going to happen. Says I've got six months tops. You know, the big C."

"You didn't call me here to tell me that, did you?" Kate inquires, frustrated by Raglan's stalling.

Raglan takes another small sip of coffee, seeming to be lost in his thoughts. "Dumb luck, it was. McCallister and I taking the call that night... I mean, I had no idea who your mother was, or why she'd be in a place like she was. Mac and I knew there was something hinkey about it. Of course there were no leads or witnesses and we knew the killer would never be found. We started to look into your mother's client's, thinking that maybe one of them wanted to off her... But then I got the call. The call telling me that Johanna Beckett's death was an act of random gang violence."

"Who called you?" Rick asks before Kate could.

"Someone with the juice to make us all go away. Someone untouchable." Raglan sadly replies.

"Who? Who's behind this?" Kate inquires, trying to remain calm, knowing that the man sitting across from her knew who was responsible for her mother's death.

"You can't touch him, but I thought that if I tell you, it would clear my conscience. The man who called me was..."

The first shot struck Raglan in the throat, effectively ending any chance of him speaking. The second shot scattered the top of his head all over the booth and the walls of the diner. Both Rodgers and Beckett dove to the floor, drawing their guns. They remained prone on the floor as Raglan's lifeless body falls forward onto the table. Several seconds pass as the two wait for additional gunfire that never comes.

They crawl away from the sight line of the windows and then climb to their feet. Kate had called for assistance soon after she hit the floor and they could hear the sound of sirens nearby, although she had no idea if it was for them. A few minutes pass before two cruisers come to a stop in front of the diner, sirens still blaring. Both detectives exit the diner before the patrolman can exit their cars, flashing their badges. There was blood spatter from Raglan on both of their faces and the patrolman asked if they had been shot also.

x-x-x-x-x

They both knew that whoever was behind Johanna's death had just killed Raglan to keep him silent. They also knew that McCallister was the key now, although the odds of getting him to talk were slim to none. CSI had been able to confirm that the shots came from a high powered rifle. The trajectory indicated that the sniper was in a fourth floor window of the building across the street when the shot was taken. Of course an examination of the empty apartment revealed nothing. No trace evidence of the shooter being there. Clearly a pro.

A check of records in the NYPD database, confirmed that McCallister had also retired within a month of Raglan. But unlike John, Gary had left the city, moving to a small town on Florida's gulf coast. The department's records showed an address in Bonita Springs where his retirement checks were being sent, but the phone number listed was no longer in service. As badly as Rodgers and Beckett wanted to hop on the next flight, Montgomery was less than enthusiastic about the idea, telling them to work the evidence that they had and he would check with the local LEOs and see if they could get anything from McCallister.

Three days later, there was a funeral with full NYPD honors for Raglan. Most of the attendees were also retired who had worked with Raglan over the years. Both Rick and Kate attended the service, hoping that McCallister would attend the funeral for his partner. He didn't show, but much to Rodgers' surprise, his old partner did. Both Rick and Marty exchanged hugs and handshakes upon seeing each other. Rick introduced Kate to his old partner who gave him a smirk and commented that he taught Rodgers everything that he knew. Rick simply laughed at the comment and replied that the only thing Marty taught him were the best places to get free donuts.

Kate couldn't help but laugh at the chagrined look on Marty's face at her partner's comment. Rick draped an arm over Marty's shoulder and asked if he could stop for drinks with he and Kate after the service. Rick sealed the deal by offering to pay for the drinks.

Not wanting to go to one of the cop bars they frequented, Rodgers suggested that they go to a place that they could speak freely and not worry about being recognized by anyone. What they didn't know was that Rick owned the place. He hadn't deliberately kept this a secret from Kate, it just wasn't something he thought about that much.

They arrived at The Olde Haunt about an hour after the service for Raglan. As it was an hour or so before happy hour, the bar was nearly empty. Rick was recognized by the bartender, who called out to him. Rodgers returned the greeting, referring to the man by his first name as he led the other two to one of the larger empty booths.

Once seated, Kate gives him a wry smile and asks. "So, you come here often?"

"Not as much as I used to." Rick replies, looking like he was embarrassed to speak.

"Come on House Seats, spill it." Marty teases, using his old nickname that causes a puzzled look to appear on Kate's face. Winters smiles at Beckett and then looks at Rodgers. "So your partner never told you what the other detectives used to call him when he was a rookie?"

"They knew that mother was an actress and they used to tease me about that. They used to ask if I could get them freebie seats for whatever show she was appearing in at the time. You know, house seats..." Rick decides to tell Kate the story of how he earned his embarrassing nickname. He then looks at Marty and grins. "There's no need for a story of how you earned you nickname, is there Doughboy?"

Kate tries, but fails to suppress the giggle she'd been holding seeing the embarrassed look on Winters' face. Marty holds up his hand in mock surrender. "Truce. No more embarrassing stories until I've had something to drink."

Rick grins and calls over a waitress to take their order. The young, very attractive woman also greeted him by his first name and Kate couldn't help but feel a small frisson of what could only be described as jealousy. After giving the waitress their order, Kate turned to look at her partner. "Care to share with the class how everyone here seems to know you by name?"

The tone of Kate's voice as she asked the question confirmed that he better have a damn good reason. He gives her a nervous chuckle and hold up his hands. "The reason why everyone knows me here is because I own the place." He pauses, not sure how to react to the looks on his former and current partner's faces. "To be honest, I hadn't given it a lot of thought. I bought this place about a year ago when the original owner passed away. His family was going sell it to the people responsible for the T J McChucklenuts bars around the country." Rodgers shudders at the thought and makes a face of utter disgust that reminded Beckett of little Nathan when he tasted something 'icky'. "I wrote my first novel in this very booth on yellow legal pads. I couldn't let them have it."

Kate smiles at the mental image of a young Rodgers sitting in this bar writing his novel, while Marty sits there unsure of what to say in response. Rick laughs at the perplexed look on Winters' face and realizes that the man knew nothing about his 'other' career. "That's right... I never told you about my other job. Before I joined the force, I was a struggling writer. I'd given up on it when Meredith became pregnant with Alexis. A few years before you retired, the Times put out an article about my books and they started to sell."

"So you used the money to buy a bar. How very cop like." Marty replies with a chuckle.

All Rick can do is shrug his shoulders and give his former partner a sheepish look and grin. This brings a laugh from both Marty and Kate. The drinks flowed freely as the three talked about the various cases that they worked, focusing on those that seemed to embarrass Rick. The conversation then steered towards Raglan with Marty relaying his run ins with the detective during his career. Rick then made an off handed comment about being surprised that McCallister didn't show for his former partner's funeral.

"I'm not surprised." Winters comments as he takes another sip from his drink. "I think the two had a falling out just before they retired. I was surprised that your boss didn't show." Marty could tell by the puzzled look on the other two's faces that they had no idea what he was talking about. "You didn't know that your boss used to run with Raglan and McCallister, did you? It was about five years before you joined the force. Montgomery was a rookie detective assigned to McCallister's team. He was only with them for about a year and there were stories..."

"What stories?" Both Rodgers and Beckett ask simultaneously, causing them both to smile at each other.

Marty arches his eyebrows in surprise at how in sync the two were sitting across from him. He smiles, knowing that these two were closer than what partners were supposed to be, but pleased to see Rick look so happy. He leaned forward an lowered his voice in a conspiratorial tone, secretly enjoying being the focus of their attention. "Back about the time Montgomery joined up with Raglan and McCallister, there was a string of mobster 'kidnappings'. Their bosses were forced to pay a ransom for their safe return. This went on for about a year, although there was never any proof of it happening. My mob informant at the time told me that he was sure it was a group of cops who were doing it."

Marty pauses and takes another sip of his drink, enjoying how he had their complete attention. "Then it all seemed to stop about the same time that Joe Pulgotti killed that undercover FBI agent... Bob Arman was his name I believe. Right after that your boss was transferred to another precinct."

Kate sat there in stunned silence as she tried to process what Winters had just told them. Roy Montgomery had been her mentor, had taken her under his wing as a rookie patrolman and made sure that she put away her mother's case to focus on helping others to get the justice that seemed to elude her.

Rick, on the other hand felt no such loyalty to his new boss. He'd found Montgomery to be a fair man, but so was his former Captain. The fact that he'd been less than receptive to their request to fly to Florida to speak to McCallister now made him wonder if there was an ulterior motive. "You sure about this Marty? When we spoke to Roy about Raglan, he acted as if he barely knew him. We wanted to fly down to Florida to talk to McCallister and he told us not to bother. That he'd get the local LEOs to talk to him."

"I know your boss used to run with them for over a year. Why he lied to you about that, well I guess you'd have to ask him. One thing I do remember, Pulgotti swore that he didn't kill Arman. He said that Arman tried to stop three masked men from kidnapping him and they shot the agent instead."

The conversation returned to more mundane topics and Kate glances down at her watch, noticing that it was well past her normal time to return home. Rick sees her and decides that it is time for him to go home also. After an exchange of well wishes and promises to stay in touch, the three leave the bar. Rick offers to drop Marty off, which he politely declines as the two climb into his cruiser. The ride to Beckett's apartment started in silence as Kate was still coming to terms with what she had learned from Rick's former partner.

"Do you believe him?" Kate inquires, ending the silence.

"Who? Marty?" Rick counters and Kate nods. "Marty Winters is a lot of things, but he's not a liar. If he says that Roy used to run with Raglan and McCallister, then you can take it to the bank. I don't understand why he acted as if he barely knew Raglan. Unless..."

"He was part of the cops that were kidnapping mobsters for money." Kate finishes his thought for him and sighs. "What do we do?"

"We need to track down this Joe Pulgotti and fast. We can't tell anyone about this." Rick replies and reaches across the seat to take her hand into his, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

He pulls up in front of her apartment, stopping his car. He leans over the console as she leans in to match his gesture. They both share a soft kiss and slowly separate. "Sweet dream Kate." Rick whispers to her as they move apart. "I love you."

Beckett responds with one of her smiles that makes Rick love her even more than he thought possible. "Goodnight partner. And oh, I love you too."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Three:**

Not surprisingly, the Raglan case went cold. They focused what attention they could on it, but knew that they'd learn noting without a lucky break. They secretly began their own investigation into Montgomery's ties to Raglan and McCallister. Kate discovered that Pulgotti has been in Sing Sing for over a decade and that every appeal he made for a retrial had been denied. She knew that contacting the warden about speaking to Pulgotti would probably result in a call to Montgomery immediately after wanting to know why she wanted to speak to him.

They needed a way to get him to meet with them on the normal visitors day. Of course Rodgers knew a guy who could get one of the guards to let Pulgotti know that he should make himself available for visitors day. A week passes before he gets the word that Pulgotti will meet them the following Wednesday. It didn't hurt that a deposit was made in Joe's prison account.

Deciding that it may be better for Kate to face Pulgotti alone, so to not raise suspicions, Beckett took a sick day from work while Rick went into work as normal. She borrowed Rick's personal car, an older Ford Bronco that he had restored and made the drive to the prison. Once there, she signed in the visitors list and waited at a table in the open area. About ten minutes elapse before a guard leads a shackled man into the room that she recognizes as Pulgotti. She rises from the table and offers a small smile as the man is lead to where she is standing. Beckett extends her hand to him. "Mr Pulgotti, my name is Kate Beckett and I wanted to talk to you about your case."

Pulgotti smiles and takes the proffered hand into his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You're exactly as your mother described you. Maybe even more beautiful than what she said."

Stunned by Pulgotti's admission that he knew Johanna, she tries to regain her composure. "You knew my mother?"

"Sure I did. After my requests for a new trial were repeatedly denied, I started sending letters to those legal defense places. A couple of months later, your mother contacted me and said that she had looked into my case and found some irregularities. She offered to help get me a new trial."

"When was that?" Kate inquires, already suspecting that she knew the answer.

"Fall of 1998, a couple of months before l learned she was murdered." Joe replies. "Are you a lawyer too? Are you here to take my case?"

"No, I'm sorry. I'm a detective with the NYPD." Kate replies almost apologetically. "But I do have some questions about your case."

"You're a cop? The NYPD set me up to take the rap. Why should I trust you?" Pulgotti angrily responds.

"Because I think that you may be telling the truth. Tell me everything that you remember about that night."

The next fifteen minutes were spent with Joe revealing every detail that he could remember about that night. Kate was taking notes as quickly as she could write on a yellow legal pad.

"Can you remember any specific details about the men who tried to kidnap you?"

"Like I said, they were wearing ski masks. They were all average height and weight and wearing dark blue coveralls. They were all carrying a weapon." Pulgotti replies.

"Did they say anything to you? Could you recognize their voices if you heard it again?" Beckett questions.

"At first, only one spoke, telling me to get into the van they were driving. But then Bob steps in with his gun drawn trying to pull me away. The one kidnapper panics and fires at Arman. Then all hell breaks loose. The three start arguing amongst themselves about what they were going to do. Somebody whacks me over the head and when I come to there are cops all around me. I didn't kill Bobby, I didn't know he was a Fed. You gotta believe me." Pulgotti's voice is pleading now.

Kate had sat across from enough criminals that would say anything to save themselves to know when someone was lying. After listening to him, she couldn't help but believe him. "Do you know why my mother would have been where Arman was murdered?"

"No. I have no idea why she would have went there. Are you going to help me?"

"There are some things that I need to look into. I can make no promises, but I may be able to help." Beckett replies.

"Thank you. That's more than I've had since your mother's death. Hope."

The buzzer sounds signaling the end of the visitation period. Pulgotti rises to his feet and offers her a smile as the guard leads him away. Kate tucks her legal pad under her arm and exits the room, stopping to pick up her purse before leaving the facility.

Kate spent time during her drive back to the city trying to piece together what Pulgotti had told her with what she already knew and came to one conclusion. Whatever her mother found out about Bob Arman's murder led to her own. That whoever was behind the kidnapping of mobsters years ago, had the money and power to use professional assassins to do his bidding today.

She knew that Raglan was ready to reveal who was behind all of it and was killed before he could talk. McCallister has to know also and she had to talk to him. It was late afternoon by the time she made it to Rick's loft to drop off his car and she needed to talk to him about her meeting with Pulgotti. Beckett takes the elevator to his floor and knocks on the door. A few seconds later, the door is opened and she is greeted Alexis, who launches herself into her arms.

"Kate! It's so good to see you." The little redhead exclaims as she hugs Beckett. "Dad's not home yet. Can you stay?"

"Sure thing sweetie. Are you alone?" Kate replies.

"Nah. Grams just went up to her room to change." Alexis leans close to Kate's ear and whispers. "Says she has a hot date tonight. Whatever that means."

Kate can't help but laugh at the look on the little girls face. Rick had done an excellent job raising her and it made her love him that much more because of it.

"Where's Nathan?" Alexis inquires. Despite her being five years older than him, she liked playing the role of big sister and her son seemed to feel the same way for Alexis. The truth was she always wanted a sibling.

"He's with his grandpa Jim, but I promise that I'll bring him with me the next time I visit. Okay?" Beckett replies, which brings a smile to the face of the little girl. Maybe one day they could be together as a family, or at least she thought about it now as a real possibility.

"I'm going to my room to practice. I hope you can stay for dinner. Maybe grandpa Jim and Nate can come also?" Alexis responds, while giving Beckett her best sad puppy look.

"I don't know Alexis. Your dad's not here to ask." Kate replies, not wanting to force her and her family on an unprepared Rick.

Alexis scurries to the phone on the end table, quickly punching in a number. "Hello daddy. Kate's here and I was wondering if she and Nate and grandpa Jim could stay for dinner? They can? Great, I'll let them know. Love you dad." The redhead returns the phone to its cradle and flashes Beckett a huge smile. "See? Daddy loves the idea."

Kate laughs at the self satisfied look on the girl's face. She knew that there was virtually nothing that he wouldn't do for her. Kate holds up her hands in surrender. "Okay, you win. I'll call my father and tell him to bring Nathan with him."

Alexis closes the distance between them and wraps her arms around Kate's legs. "Thank you Kate." She releases her hug and runs up the stairs to her room, leaving Beckett standing alone in the living room. Glancing at her watch, she dials the number of her father's apartment and waits for him to answer. Both Jim and Nathan sounded pleased to be invited to dinner, especially in the middle of the week.

Being curious, Kate decided to spend the time waiting for Rick's return looking around his office. She didn't consider it snooping as he had told her that she was welcome to look around whenever she wanted. Kate assumed that it was a gesture by him to prove that he no longer wanted to keep any secrets from her. In the corner, was an electronic whiteboard similar to the one they used at the precinct. Rick had told her how he liked to use it to map out his books just like they did with a case. She looks at the board and sees that it was blank and then pushes the button to display the previous screen.

She stares at the screen for a few moments and then gasps as she realizes that this was not a story outline, but her mother's case. She could see that this was something that Rick had invested a considerable amount of time with. On the right side of the board was a list of unanswered questions and possible theories. They were the same questions that she had. Kate advances the screen back to the blank one, just in case Alexis or Martha decided to pop in and returns to the living room.

The elder Rodgers acted positively giddy as she twirled around in a green chiffon dress that was designed for a woman younger than her. Luckily for her, she made the frock look good on her anyway. She stops and smiles at Beckett. "Katherine darling, it's good to see you." She closes the distance between the two of them, wrapping the young woman in her arms.

Kate had gotten used to Martha's overly intimate greetings and returned the hug. "You look fabulous Martha. Big date?" Beckett comments with a sly smile.

"Chet and I are going to dinner and dancing and..." Martha leaves the rest to Kate's imagination, but judging by the mischievous smile on her face, she knew what was implied. "Please tell Richard to not wait up for me as I plan on getting lucky..."

"Martha! TMI!" Kate responds, blushing at Martha's brazen remark, which only causes the elder Rodgers to laugh in response.

Martha can only give Kate a wink and a smile as she slips a wrap over her shoulders and grabs her clutch purse. She's nearly out the door when she stops to face Kate. "Wish me luck."

"Break a leg." Kate replies as Martha floats out the door. A few minutes elapse before Rick enters the loft, his arms full of take out food.

Kate has to laugh seeing Rick struggle with the bags of food and the door. She quickly closes the distance between them and takes one of the bags from his arms. "How many people are you trying to feed Rick?"

Rodgers walks into the kitchen and sets his bags down on the counter before speaking. "I forgot to ask what everyone wanted when we spoke, so I thought I'd cover as many bases as I could. Besides, what we don't eat now can be used for midnight snacks." He offers her an innocent look and a smile.

Kate sat he bag down on the counter and wraps her arms around him, placing a soft kiss on his lips. All Rick can do in response is to return the hug with a kiss of his own. Only his kiss was a little less innocent, followed by a probing tongue seeking entrance, which she provides. Their impromptu make out session was interrupted by a knock on the door that solicits groans from both parties. Reluctantly, they release their hold on each other and Rick makes his way to the door as Kate starts to inspect his food choices.

Rodgers opens the door to greet a smiling Jim and Nathan Beckett standing there. Rick gestures them into the loft while commenting about their impeccable timing, which earns a mock glare from Kate in the kitchen. Rodgers shakes hands with Jim and offers to take his coat. He then kneels down to exchange a handshake with Nathan. The little boy returns the gesture and immediately inquires as to where Alexis is. Rick laughs and gestures to the stairway as the boy nearly sprints off to her room.

Kate can only laugh at her son's actions, calling out that she was there also. In truth, she was pleased at how well Nathan and Alexis seemed to get along and wondered if they'd be that way if what she felt for Rick led to something more. Something permanent.

Jim followed Rick into the kitchen as the two men discussed the Yankees prospects for this season. Kate knew that her father liked Rick and enjoyed being referred to as 'grandpa Jim' by Alexis. She also knew that Rick felt the same way about her father. Jim gives Rick the same look that she did seeing the huge assortment of food on the counter and makes a similar remark about how many people was he trying to feed.

Rick takes their drink requests and pulls a couple of beers from the fridge, handing one to Jim. He then opens a bottle of the special red wine that Kate likes, pouring her a glass. He hands her the glass as his fingers linger on her hand a little longer than necessary. Jim is quick to notice and smiles seeing how perfect these two are together. Almost like he was with Johanna. That thought causes the smile to fade momentarily, but he quickly recovers, happy for his daughter.

Rick offers to bring down the children if Kate will set the table. She agrees if Jim will help her. As soon as Rick is out of earshot, Jim speaks. "You two are like two halves of a whole. Just like your mother and I. I can see that he loves you and I'm pretty sure that you love him..."

"I love him dad. More than I thought possible. And he loves me too." Kate replies shyly, not sure how her father will react.

"Good for you Katie. I'm so happy that you found someone." Jim replies as he sets the table. He knew about Rodgers' 'other' career and his wealth, but didn't think that made a difference as he was more impressed with Rick's character.

Rick returns with the two animated children and lifts Nathan into his booster seat as Kate sets a plate of food before the boy. Alexis takes her seat in the chair beside him and Rick gestures for Jim to take the seat at the head of the table. Kate and Rick take seats side by side on the opposite side of the table, facing their children. Jim says grace and the group digs into their meal as the conversation flows freely. Both Rick and Kate can sense how wonderfully normal this setting feels.

The meal starts to wind down and the real reason for her appearance at the loft comes back to Kate. She glances at her watch and comments that it's past Nate's bedtime while trying to give Rick a surreptitious look. He catches her look and agrees that they should call it an evening and thanks Jim and Nathan for coming. Alexis shares hugs with Jim, Nathan, Kate and finally Rick before running off to her room. Kate walks towards the door with Jim and Nathan stopping there. She whispers something to her father and then kneels down to give a hug and kiss to her son. She waits until they're out the door before walking into the office where Rick was waiting.

 **"** How'd your meeting with Pulgotti go?" Rick asks as she sits beside him on the sofa that faced his desk.

"I honestly don't know Rick. The only thing I learned was that my mother was working on an appeal of Pulgotti's case when she was murdered. Somehow this all goes back to Bob Arman's murder. Pulgotti was sure that whoever was trying to kidnap him were cops."

Rick's expression turns grim, hearing what she has to say. "Could he identify them if he saw them?"

"No, they were wearing masks." She can see that there's something else troubling her partner besides the news she's given him. "What aren't you telling me?"

"I decided to call the Bonita Springs police to see if they had made any contact with McCallister. They told me that there was never a call from the NYPD... I asked them to make contact with him... They called me about an hour later to tell me that they found him dead, an apparent home invasion gone wrong. Somebody's tying up loose ends."

"If Montgomery was part of this then he's next." Kate replies, not sure if she should feel sorry for the man who was responsible for her mother's death."

"He was out of the office all day - meetings at 1PP. That's why I called instead of asking him first. We have to talk to him. He knows who's behind all of this." He takes Kate's hand into his, giving them a tug to get her attention. "If your mother taking Pulgotti's case was what got her murdered, then your visit to see him may have put you their crosshairs."

"If we weren't already thanks to Raglan." Kate finishes his thought for him as he sighs in agreement.

"We need to get our families someplace safe until this blows over. They could be collateral damage and I can't let that happen." Rick comments resolutely.

"How?" Kate inquires, trying to mask the fear she felt for her family at this moment.

"That's the advantage of having money. We'll send them someplace safe that only we know about." Rick replies. "We'll tell everyone else that they went somewhere different - we can't be too careful."

"What about my dad and your mother? I'm not sure my dad can just drop everything and just disappear for an indefinite period. Even though he's a partner at his firm, he'd have to tell someone why he was going?" Kate counters, knowing that she'd have to tell Jim everything.

"Mother's not a problem. A hint at an extended vacation in a warm locale for free and she'll have her bags packed before you could finish making the offer." Rick replies with a weak laugh. "As for your dad, let me work on it. I may be able to come up with a somewhat plausible reason for his departure."

"What about our children? The thought of being away from Nate scares me to death." Kate offers with a sigh.

Rick takes her hand in his again, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I hate the thought of being away from Alexis too, but we both have well established routines with our kids that makes them easy targets. These are the type of people that would kill your mother for simply looking into Arman's murder. Imagine how far they would go to keep two cops away."

Kate shudders at the thought, knowing just how true it was. Rick releases her hand and drapes his arm over her shoulder, pulling her tightly to him. He looks into her red rimmed eyes and offers a reassuring smile. "I love you Kate Beckett and I will do anything in my power to keep you and those you love safe." He leans forward and places a soft kiss on her lips. "Always."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four:**

Rick and Kate arrive at the precinct at their normal times the next morning. Rodgers brings in his customary coffees for both he and Beckett and a bag of bear claws that will provide his team with breakfast. Both Ryan and Espo were busy working a case that they picked up the day before while Kate was away. Surveillance video confirmed the identity of the perpetrator and they were waiting for a search warrant before they brought him in.

The four discussed the case, bringing Beckett up to speed as they ate their pastries. Both Rick and Kate kept an eye on Montgomery's office, waiting for his arrival. They hadn't worked out the details for how they would approach him yet, but knew that time was of the essence.

An hour passed and Roy had yet to appear. Rick calls down to the desk sergeant to see if the captain was coming in today, only to learn that he had called in sick with the flu. Rodgers' frown as he ended the call was all Beckett needed to see to know that something was wrong. A few minutes later a uniformed officer delivers the signed search warrant and Rick suggests that the entire team go for the arrest.

Kevin and Javi take their cruiser while Rick and Kate take theirs. As soon as they are seated and the doors closed, Rick begins to speak. "Montgomery must have found out about McCallister and knows that he's next."

"But we don't have any proof that he was part of any wrongdoing." Kate counters, hoping that she wasn't wrong about the man that she had trusted completely.

"You're right, but what we do have is a shitload of circumstantial evidence. Marty confirmed that Roy ran with both Raglan and McCallister, yet Montgomery acted as if he barely knew them. He lied to us about contacting the LEOs for McCallister. He's made sure that you stayed away from your mother's case by keeping you here, working for him. And now he disappears right after McCallister's found dead of an apparent home invasion gone wrong? He's dirty and you know it. We just have to figure out how to get him to talk." Rick responds with absolute conviction in everything he has said.

Kate can only offer a sigh of resignation as she knows what her partner said is true. "What's next?" She asks, already having a pretty good idea of what he's about to say.

"We get our families away, someplace safe first... Then we hunt down Montgomery. We look into his life, his finances, everything and see if there's something to tie him to whomever is running the show." Rick pauses for a moment before he continues. "An old college friend of mine is my lawyer and financial advisor. He owes me a favor or two. He'll contact your father's law firm and ask that Jim provide assistance in settling an estate for a wealthy client that knew him from long ago. Your dad's firm will be none the wiser and they'll be no ties to either of us. All you have to do is convince him to go along with our plan."

Rick pauses for a moment to allow everything that he just relayed to her to sink in. "As for us, once everyone is safe you'll stay here with me." Kate starts to protest, but Rodgers holds up his hand, silencing her. "Not like that! Although I have to admit that the thought of us living together has its appeal." Kate blushes and he offers her a wry smile. "I have security at the loft that should be adequate... for now."

"What about Ryan and Espo?" Kate asks. "If they figure out that we're living together, they'll know that something's up... And we'll have to tell them something."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now our top priority is to get our loved ones someplace safe. We'll let everyone know that Martha is taking Nate and Alexis to Disneyworld. Jim's cover story will be that he's in Florida also, taking care of an estate for a client."

"Where will they really be?" Kate inquires.

"California." Rick replies. "They'll be booked on flights to Orlando under their names and then fly on to LA using fake IDs. I'll give both mother and Jim burner phones. They'll need cash and I'll get them debit cards to use for other expenses."

"You've really thought this out." Beckett replies, impressed at how he seemed to anticipate everything.

Rick offers her a slightly embarrassed look and replies. "The curse of being a mystery writer. I have to think of these type of details to make my stories believable. I just hope I've covered everything."

The cruiser comes to a stop in front of the building where the suspect lived. Both of their minds were so focused on their own issues that they nearly forgot why they were here. A minute later, the cruiser containing Ryan and Esposito pulls up behind theirs. The four detectives work out a strategy with Rodgers and Beckett going to the door and Ryan and Espo staying by the front and rear exits just in case the suspect tried to make a run for it.

Rick and Kate both don their NYPD vests and check to make sure their weapons were ready before taking the elevator to the suspect's floor. They approach the door and Rick knocks while shouting. "NYPD! We have warrant for your arrest."

They could hear someone on the other side of the door moving about frantically. Deciding that he'd waited long enough, Rodgers kicks open the door with his gun drawn. The suspect, Meryl Wilkins was half way out the window to his fire escape as they enter. "Meryl Wilkins, you are under arrest for the murder of Randy Mason." Rick barks out as the man stops his exit.

Kate closes the distance between her and the suspect as he crawls out of the window and back into the apartment. Rick keeps his weapon pointed at Wilkins while Kate places him in cuffs and then reads him his Miranda rights. Once in cuffs, Rodgers lowers his weapon and reaches into his jacket to reveal the search warrant. A quick search of the small apartment reveals the victim's wallet. A check into loose floorboard reveals the knife used.

They bag the evidence and lead Wilkins down to the street where Ryan and Espo were waiting. Javi loads Wilkins into the back of his cruiser and they all head back to the precinct. The ride back to the twelfth was spent in silence as both were working out plans in their minds for how they will get their respective parents to go along with their plan.

Confronted with the evidence they had, Wilkins cracked like an egg and confessed to the murder only minutes after Rick started his interrogation. Now all they had left was the usual mountain of paperwork. Sensing that it was nearly the end of their shift, Rick tells everyone to take off and they could do the paperwork tomorrow. Both Rick and Kate declined the usual celebratory drink after a successful case citing family commitments. Rodgers did promise that he would take them all out tomorrow and he would pick up the tab. That seemed to appease Ryan and Espo.

Rick offers to drive Kate home which she accepts. The ride to her apartment was filled with silence again as she tried to figure out how she would approach her father with their plan. Rodgers was busy doing the same thing with his mother. He pulls up to a stop in front of her building and offers her a sad smile. "Well we're here. Good luck with your dad."

Kate turns to face him and offers a smile of her own. "Thank you." She leans across the seat and places a kiss on his lips.

Rick takes hold of her hand and draws her back to him, giving her a kiss of his own. "It's the least I can do for the woman I love."

"I love you too. Goodnight Rick." Kate replies, reluctantly pulling away from him.

"Until tomorrow Kate." He replies as she exits the car, closing the door.

That evening in the Rodgers and Beckett households the children were faced with coaxing their parents to run away for an indefinite period of time. They both arrived home to a take out dinner waiting for them and their families seated at the table. Martha had ordered Chinese while Jim had brought home Italian from the little restaurant around the corner from their apartment. Both Rick and Kate tried to act as normal as possible, hinting to their children that they may soon be leaving on an adventure while their parents looked at them in confusion.

Both Jim and Martha knew that there was something amiss, something that their children were less than willing to discuss in front of their own children. So they waited, as Rick and Kate went through their normal evening ritual with their children. Once Alexis and Nathan were in bed for the evening, Rick approaches Martha, and Kate, Jim as they ask to talk in serious, hushed tones.

Martha could sense that whatever he son wanted to talk to her about would not make her happy. She had just reconnected with her high school sweetheart, Chet and wanted to see where it went this time around. Rick calmly gave her a redacted version of what was happening, trying to downplay the eminent danger that they all may already be in. The fact that he was sending Jim and Nathan away with her and Alexis was enough to convince her of the threat to them all.

He explained his plan and at first she scoffed at some of the cloak and dagger components of it, saying that he'd read one too many James Bond novels. Rick stressed that no one could know where they were really going, not even Chet. Martha agrees to the plan and he gives her a grateful hug and kiss on the cheek before heading to his room for the night.

Kate's talk with her father was easier and harder than Rick's with Martha. Easier, because of his knowledge of Johanna's case, but harder because he didn't want to leave Kate. She explained the details of Rick's plan and how he had to stick to the cover story to everyone he knew. They could trust no one right now. Jim knew that Rick loved his daughter and would die before he let anything happen to her, so he reluctantly agreed.

Rick was up earlier than normal, making sure that Alexis was ready for school. He would call meet with her principal this morning and explain that she would be out of school for a while to address a pressing 'family issue' and make sure that all of her assignments were forwarded to him. Private schools like the one she attended were used to their students being pulled away at all times of the year, so this shouldn't be a problem.

Alexis comes bounding down the stairs at her usual time, dressed and ready for school as he finishes preparing her breakfast. After an exchange of hugs and kisses, the redhead sits at the counter and starts to eat her meal. Rick sips his coffee and looks lovingly at his daughter. She looks up from her food and gives him a wary look, knowing that something was off.

Deciding to get it over with as quickly as possible, he decides to tell her. "Pumpkin, how would you like to go to Disneyworld with grams, grandpa Jim and Nate?"

"Really? When?" Alexis inquires excitedly.

"Tonight."

"What about school?" She counters.

"I'm going to talk to your principal this morning. It shouldn't be a problem and I'll make sure that they send me any work that you may miss. They do this all the time."

Alexis considers her father's explanation. The nine year old knows that there's more to the story, but is sure that her father was either unwilling, or unable to explain any further. "What about you and Kate? Why can't you come with us?"

"Pumpkin, Kate and I have to stay here because of our jobs. If we get a chance, we'll fly down to stay with you. Okay?" Rick replies, giving his daughter a hug and a kiss.

"I'll miss you dad."

"I'll miss you more, pumpkin."

Kate's task telling Nathan was far easier as he was thrilled at the thought of going to Disneyworld with Jim, Martha, and Alexis. Getting him out of daycare would not be a problem and her son would not have any assignments to make up as Alexis would. Taking a taxi to his preschool, Kate met with the administrator to let them know that the boy was going away for a week or two. Satisfied with her effort, she kissed her son goodbye and told him to wait for grandpa Jim to pick him up this afternoon.

Rick arrived at the precinct a few minutes after Kate carrying their coffees and a bag of pastries as he normally would. Ryan and Espo were busy at their desks doing the necessary paperwork from the Wilkins case, both hoping another body would drop to pull them away from this mind numbing task.

Kate offers a shy smile as she takes the proffered coffee from his hand, gently tracing her fingers along his as they separate. "Is everything set?" Rick inquires as he takes his seat and she nods in response. He turns to face Kevin and Javi who were watching he and Kate intently. He waits as she extracts her pastry from the bag first and then offers the bag to the two detectives sitting there. They quickly grab their treats and mumble a thank you between bites, which makes both he and Kate smile.

"Mother decides on a whim that she wanted to visit Disneyworld... she's taking Alexis with her." Rick remarks casually, as if this was simply Martha being Martha.

"Nathan is going with her. He's never been to Disneyworld and I couldn't turn her down when she asked." Kate quickly adds. "We'll need to leave here a little early to get them to the airport."

Ryan and Espo exchange puzzled looks with each other and then with Rodgers and Beckett. They were well aware of Martha's eccentric behavior and simply attributed it to her being an actress. They were surprised that Kate would allow her young son to be away from her. She'd always been so possessive and secretive about the boy, only revealing his existence at the Christmas party last year.

Both men simply nod and mutter vague acknowledgements, knowing that there was nothing to say as Rick looks up to see Montgomery sitting in his office. Rodgers gives Beckett a look and pushes himself up from his seat. "I'll go tell the captain that we'll be leaving early today." Kate nods in understanding as he walks to Montgomery's office.

Rick knocks on the door and waits until Roy to gestures for him to enter. Rodgers pastes on a neutral smile as he enters Roy's office, closing door behind him. He gestures towards the chairs facing his desk. "Take a seat Rodgers."

Rick then gives Montgomery an update on the Wilkins' case, which earns a vague compliment from him. Neither man seemed particularly interested in discussing the case and Montgomery seemed to be preoccupied with something else. Rodgers then explains that both he and Beckett needed to leave early to send their children off to Disneyworld. A noncommittal shrug of the shoulders was all he received in response to the statement, so Rick assumed it was okay.

"I trust that your partner is feeling better?" Roy inquires about Kate's day off on Wednesday when she went to visit Pulgotti.

Rick wonders how much Roy knew about Kate's 'sick day'. _'Did someone at the prison already contact Roy about her visit to Sing Sing?'_ Rick wondered, trying hard not to let paranoia creep into his thoughts. He knew that Roy was involved in this mess, but decided that he needed to be sure that he and Kate's loved ones were safe before pressing him. He'd also make use of the time to gather as much evidence as they could.

He looks at Roy and calmly replies. "Yes, I think so. She seemed fine yesterday."

"Good. Could you see yourself out? I've got performance reviews that I have to get to 1PP by the end of the day." Roy remarks without ever looking up from his desk.

Rick exits the office, closing the door behind him. He returns to his desk as Kate gives him an inquisitive look and asks. "Well, what did he say?"

"Not a lot. I gave him an update on the Wilkins case, told him about our needing to leave early and then he asked if you were feeling better."

Kate's face pales a little at the comment. "Do you think he knows?" She asks in a whisper.

"Don't know, but we're better off assuming that he does." Rick whispers back to her. "Right now it's in our best interest to assume that anyone could be in with them."

The two spent the remainder of their day finishing up the paperwork for the Wilkins case. Rick glances at his watch and sees that it's nearly two pm. He frowns and looks at Kate, commenting. "Well it's time to go." Rodgers rises to his feet and slips on his jacket as Beckett does the same. The two walk out together as they exchange pleasantries with Ryan and Espo.

Once on the elevator, Kate asks. "Why did we need to leave so early? Their flight's not until seven."

"I've got one stop to make." Rick answers with a smile.

They get into the cruiser and are soon on their way through the busy Manhattan traffic to the office of Rick's lawyer. He double parks, placing his NYPD placard in the window. It was one of the few perks of the job. Kate follows him into the building and soon they are standing outside of the modestly appointed office. They enter and Rick is greeted by name by the young attractive receptionist inside. After a brief exchange of greetings, the receptionist calls his friend and tells them that he was waiting for them.

The two men shake hands and Barry smiles and extends his hand to Kate as Rick makes introductions. Barry grins and can't help but comment. "She's even more beautiful than what you said Rick." Which results in Kate blushing a brilliant shade of red. He then turns to look at her. "I finally get to meet the woman that has captured my old friend's heart." This does nothing to diminish her blush and all she can do is smile.

Rick can see that his friend is as taken by her beauty as he is and decides to get to the reason why they were here. "We're a bit rushed for time. Did you get everything that I asked?"

Barry opens the drawer of his desk and presents Rodgers with an oversized manila envelope. "What type of lawyer would I be if I didn't take care of my best client?"

Rick smiles as he takes the envelope from his friend. "I owe you one man. Thanks."

"Don't worry. I charged you a fair price for my services. The prepaid debit cards were easy, but the drivers licenses were a little pricey, given the short notice." Barry comments as the two men shake hands again.

They stopped at Kate's place first, picking up Nathan. Jim would fly out the following morning as to not draw any undue attention to himself. If they were being watched and someone saw them all leave on the same flight, it might tip them off that something was off.

The last stop was at Rick's loft where Martha and Alexis were anxiously waiting. Nathan was thrilled to see the two Rodgers redheads and was so looking forward to going to Disneyworld. He excitedly talked about everything that he wanted to see and do while there as both Rick and Kate offered supportive smiles, feeling guilty about the ruse. Once again, Rodgers uses his NYPD placard to park in the drop off zone and follows he group into the terminal. They walked to the TSA security checkpoint and exchanged hugs and kisses with everyone, as both Rick and Kate fought back tears at the thought of being separated from their children.

The ride back to the city was spent with the two reassuring the other that they were doing the right thing. They stopped back at Beckett's apartment where she exchanged a tearful a goodbye with her dad, making him promise to call just as soon as they were at their final destination. She also used the opportunity to pack an overnight bag for herself as she would be staying at the loft until this was over.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five:**

They arrived at the loft a little after eight. Rick had stopped by the pizza shop near his apartment and brought home a pie for dinner. Once inside, they both seemed to crumple in exhaustion and sat on the living room sofa rather than heading to the kitchen. It had been an extremely taxing day, both physically and emotionally. They knew that Martha and the kids were in Orlando by now, but that was only their first stop in their journey. It was up to Martha to now use the fake IDs to get the children and herself on to LA.

Rick pushes himself to his feet and extends his hand to Kate. He takes her hand in his and tugs her to her feet, pulling her into the kitchen. She goes to the cabinets to extract plates and napkins while Rick opens a bottle of wine and pours them a glass. The two sat at the breakfast bar and quietly ate what little they could of their meal. Both were keenly aware of the risk they were taking, but felt that they really had no choice once Raglan decided to try and clear his conscience.

Beckett finishes the bit of food she was chewing and quietly inquires. "Do you think we can do this?"

"Honestly I don't know Kate. If whomever's in charge is tying up loose ends, there's a pretty good chance that we're already in their crosshairs. Our only shot is to expose them before they can get to us." Rick replies flatly, as he places his slice of pizza on his plate, his appetite now gone. He reaches across the counter and takes her hand into his, gently stroking it. "But I've got an extraordinary partner that makes me believe that we can do anything."

The look of sincerity in his eyes as he spoke was her undoing. She nearly sprints around the breakfast bar and wraps her arms around him, burying her face in her neck. "I love you Richard Rodgers. Do you know that?"

"Not as much as I love you Katherine Beckett." He replies as he holds her to his body. The kisses started off tender and gentle at first, but quickly grew into something desperate. All of the pent up desire for each other seemed to reach a critical mass at this moment.

"Take me to your bed." Kate manages to get out in small gasps as their heated make out session continues. Never breaking from his assault on her neck by his lips, the two stagger into his bedroom, stopping when the back of her legs make contact with the bed.

He stops his attack on her neck and looks into her eyes. "Are you sure that you're okay with this? I love you too much to risk what we have if you're not ready."

"I've never wanted anything more in my life Rick." She replies with a look of love, lust and shyness in her eyes. "It's been a long time Rick... The last time I was with a man was Nate's father."

Rick looks into her beautiful eyes and can see her fear that she may not meet his expectations somehow and smiles as he places a soft kiss on her lips. "Don't worry, we'll take things as slow as you need. I love you."

X-X-X-X

The blaring of Rick's alarm startles Kate awake from what had been a restful, yet entirely too short sleep. She quickly calms, realizing where she is and whose chest she was using as a pillow at this moment and can't help but smile. Kate can feel the rumble in his chest and groans at the offending sound as he tries to swat at the alarm with his free hand. Beckett has to suppress a giggle as she can sense that he was performing the same situation assessment that she had only seconds earlier.

"Good morning beautiful." Rick murmurs into the top of her head as he places a kiss there. Kate lifts her head from his chest and arches her neck to give him a kiss on her own on his lips. "How did you sleep?"

"I slept wonderfully... what little sleep I got." Kate replies with a sultry smile. The had made love three times and Kate had lost count of the number of orgasms as they all seemed to blend into one. One thing that they were both certain of was they had never experienced anything like it before and they wanted to make sure that it happened again... and again. They both knew that what made this special was the deep feelings that they had for each other beyond the obvious physical attraction that they felt.

"I could get used to waking up with you in my arms every morning." Rick responds, his words coming out more as a spoken wish and ending with another kiss on her lips. He was certain that he had found his one and done and if they somehow survived this, he would make his hope into reality. He just hoped that Kate felt the same.

She did.

After a shared shower where they both fought the urge to go for a round four, the two enjoyed a latte from the espresso machine in the kitchen. Kate watches as Rick presents her latte with a heart created in the foam for her. A simple thing that meant so much more than words. They finished their coffees and were out the door in a couple of minutes. Rick still stopped at his usual places to pick up the coffees and pastries as he normally would. The last thing they wanted to do was draw any suspicions by a change in their routines.

Rick let Kate out of the cruiser a block from the precinct so that she could arrive alone as he would. Her arriving in his car would be noticed by someone. They were seated at their desks looking at a cold case that another team had from a few months earlier. This was common practice on those days where there was no active case to work. The idea that a fresh set of eyes looking at a case made perfect sense to Rodgers. He'd managed to close a couple over the last year or so by taking a completely different approach to the evidence gathered.

It was a few minutes before noon when Rick receives the text message from the burner phone he had purchased for Martha telling him that they had arrived at their destination exhausted and would call once they had a decent nap. Moments later, Kate receives a similar text from Jim. Relieved that their families were safe, Rodgers starts to plan how they would approach the captain with the evidence that they had.

As it was now lunch time, Rick decides to take his team to Remys. The group piles into Espo's cruiser for the ten minute ride to the eatery. The four discussed the cold case they had been given, exchanging theories, but finding nothing revealing in their examination.

They were nearly back to the precinct when Rick received the call of a body drop. While Ryan and Espo were excited to not have to continue with the cold case, both Rick and Kate quietly groaned, knowing that their confrontation with Montgomery would have to wait.

They stopped back at the twelfth so that Rick could pickup his car and he and Kate rode to the scene together. By the time they arrived at the scene it had been cordoned off by the CSI team and Perlmutter was hunched over the body as the two arrived.

He looks up just as the two arrive and can't help but acknowledge their arrival with a comment. "Ah, detective Beckett... always a pleasure." He then looks at Rick and frowns. "And house seats... Still living with your mommy?"

Rodgers simply smiles and responds. "Dr Peanutbutter... Were all the competent MEs busy and they had to send someone?"

Perlmutter's face turns red and Kate has to stifle a giggle, as Rick continues. "But enough about you and your shortcomings, what have we got here?"

"Vic is a white female. I'd guess early forties. Cause of death looks to be a single GSW to the base of her skull, execution style." Perlmutter pauses, pleased the he has their attention and then continues. "Our vic appears to have been tortured first." The ME holds up one of the woman's hands, showing three badly dislocated fingers.

"Somebody tortured her for something... they must have promised her a quick death if she gave them what they wanted. Obviously, they got what they wanted." Rick replies flatly and Kate nods in agreement.

"Well I'll leave you detectives to do your job while I take the victim back to the morgue to do mine." Perlmutter comments without looking up from the body, effectively dismissing the two.

Rodgers and Beckett examine the apartment where the body was discovered looking for information on the vic. They both knew that this was the work of a pro and no trace evidence would be found. While they were searching the room, Espo approaches. "Vic's name is Mary Ellen Robbins, forty-four years old. A personal assistant for a small brokerage firm downtown. Canvassed the neighbors, said that she'd lived here for about four years, quiet, kept to herself with only an occasional visitor."

"Anybody see her or her visitor?" Kate inquires. Espo responds with a shake of his head.

"You and Ryan head back to the twelfth and Beckett and I will finish up here." Rodgers comments and Esposito nods in response, taking off in search of his partner.

The two scanned the apartment looking for anything out of place. Other than where the body was found, the apartment looked untouched. "I'm betting that Ms Robbins had something hidden here that they tortured and killed her to get. The question is what was it and where was it hidden." Rick remarks as he starts looking under the furniture in the living room. Finding nothing, he walks into the bedroom and looks under the bed.

Kate starts pulling out the drawers in the dresser examining each one for any possible hiding place. Rick sees what she's doing and comes over to help. Instead of looking in the drawers, he starts feeling inside the tops of the drawers and inside the dresser. After several attempts they come to one of the bottom drawers and Rodgers smiles as he feels under it.

"You find something?" Kate asks as she continues to examine the contents inside the drawer.

"No, but I found where it was hidden." He replies as he pulls the drawer out completely and empties the contents onto the bed. They examine the bottom of the drawer and see the tape residue from whatever was attached there.

"Looks like an envelope was attached there." Kate remarks as she points to the spot. "Looks like whoever took it was in a hurry. Do you think that there may be prints?"

"All we can do is hope." Rick responds. He carries the empty drawer with him to where the CSI team was still examining the crime scene and asks one of the techs to check it for prints and let him know if they find anything.

The drive back to the precinct was spent in silence for the most part. They would each offer a theory on the murder while the other would critique it for obvious flaws. They had grown to work together this way and took no offense when their partner pointed out the flaw in their theories. No idea, no matter how outrageous was immediately dismissed and sometimes it helped them to look at things from a new perspective. This time, none of their theories would synch up with evidence already found.

Upon arrival at the twelfth, the two made their way to the bullpen while looking to see if Montgomery was in his office. They could see that he was on the phone with someone and judging by how he was reacting, was having an argument. They sat down at their desks and began the process of documenting what they had discovered about the crime scene for their report. Rick starts to prepare the whiteboard for the timeline, filling in what pieces that he could.

Ryan approaches the two and begins to speak. "Looks like our victim used to be a personal assistant in the DA's office up until her boss resigned to go into politics."

"So who did she work for?" Kate inquires.

"Senator William H Bracken." Ryan replies. "She was with him nearly a decade, but quit the same day he left the job to run for office." He adds.

"Did you talk to anyone in the DAs office about them?" Rick asks.

"Not yet, but I've got a few contacts over there." Ryan answers.

Rick and Kate return their attention to the murder board, not noticing the approach of a grim faced Roy Montgomery. "Detectives, what have you got?"

"Victim was Mary Ellen Robbins, forty four years old. Cause of death was a single gun shot wound to the base of her skull, execution style. It appears that she had been tortured before she was killed as several of her fingers had been dislocated." Kate replies flatly.

Rick had been looking at their captain as Beckett relayed the facts to him. The way he reacted to the victim's name indicated that he knew her although his facial expression quickly returned to that of calm indifference. "It appears that the victim used to work in the DA's office for William Bracken. Do you know him? He was gone before I joined the force." Rodgers comments.

"Yeah, I knew of him." Roy replies. "He was an up and comer, had his sights set on politics. If you get anything else, let me know."

"Will do captain." Beckett replies as Montgomery quickly turns and walks back to his office. The stoic look that he tried to give the two as he spoke did nothing to mask the fear that was apparent in his eyes.

"Want to bet that Ms Robbins' death is somehow tied to Raglan and McCallister's?" Rick offers his opinion out loud.

"I think you're right. ". Kate replies with a sigh. "It looks like someone is tying up loose ends to anyone involved with Bob Arman's murder. I understand Raglan and McCallister as they were both dirty, but why Robbins?"

"That's what we have to find out."

The rest of their shift was spent checking into the background of the victim. Ryan and Espo returned from their visit to the DA's office and relayed what they learned. It appeared that Ms Robbins was a model employee and had spent her entire tenure working for Bracken. There was nothing to indicate that she had anything other than a professional relationship with the senator, but no one knew anything about her private life and she made no real friends there.

Both Rodgers and Beckett kept a surreptitious eye on Montgomery's office as they worked. He had kept his door closed the entire afternoon, an unspoken way of saying that he didn't want to be disturbed. That was a sure sign that something was amiss as he made a point of always being available. Those that did try to speak to him that afternoon were dealt with quickly and sent on their way.

Without saying anything to the other, both began to wonder just how big a target had been painted on them by Raglan's meeting with them. They could only hope that they could get this wrapped up as quickly as possible, yet neither felt as confident at that moment.

Kate glances at the picture on her desk of Nathan and smiles. She reverently picks up the picture and puts it inside her desk drawer, feeling that other than her partners, she wasn't sure who she could trust. She looks at the elephant family statue sitting on her desk, a reminder of the happy family that she was once a part of. Her mother's favorite memento which she had kept on her desk in her office.

Beckett picks up the sculpture and strokes it with her fingers, examining the intricate details. She notices evidence that the figurine had been broken and glued back together. It was such a good repair that she had never noticed before. She considers hiding it away in her drawer also as her phone rings, startling her. She releases the statue and it falls back to her desk, her face aghast, sure that it would break. Kate releases a sigh of relief as the figurine bounces on the desk, still intact. Kate did hear something rattle inside as it hit the desktop. She picks it up and shakes it by her ear listening closely. Sure enough, there was something loose inside.

Rodgers had been sneaking glances at his partner the entire time and knew exactly what she was feeling at the moment. He smiled as he watched her look at her son's picture and knew that she felt the same way about him that he did for Alexis. Rick knew that the elephant family statue belonged to her mother, but had no idea of its significance to her. The sound of her phone must have startled her from her thoughts and he watches as the figurine falls to the desk, helpless to intervene. He shares her sigh of relief as he sees that it didn't break, but is puzzled by her lifting the sculpture to hear ear and shaking it.

"Something wrong?" Rick inquires as Kate continues to inspect the figurine in her hand.

"Sounds like I knocked something loose inside it when I dropped it." Kate replies as she traces her fingernail over the before unnoticed repair mark. "It sounds like something fairly large."

"Maybe it's just some part of the internal structure that broke loose." Rodgers offers.

"Maybe." Beckett replies as she carefully places the elephant family statue back on her desk.

The team of detectives worked the Robbins case past their normal shift change, frustrated that they could find nothing in the victim's past that would have brought her to the end that she met. Everything they discovered about the victim pointed to her being a model citizen; no criminal record, no debts, no unusual financial activity, nothing. Yet whatever she had hidden in her dresser was reason enough for her torture and murder.

Rick decides that they've done all they could for the day and send Ryan and Espo home for the evening. Rodgers had kept an eye on Montgomery's office since he left them hours earlier, distressed by the identity of the victim. Rick had a gut feeling that Robbins murder was somehow tied to deaths of Roy's former partners, Raglan and McCallister. Taking on last look at the murder board, he pushes himself up from his seat and looks at Beckett. "Thought I'd give Roy an update on where we're at with the case. Want to come with me?"

Kate gets up from her chair and follows Rick to Montgomery's office and waits as he knocks on the door. Roy looks up from whatever he was reading and gestures for the two to enter. The two enter his office and Rick closes the door behind him. "Thought I'd give you an heads up that we're leaving for the day." Rodgers flatly states, looking to the captain.

"Where are you at with the case?" Roy questions, never making eye contact.

"Perlmutter confirmed the COD was a single GSW and that she had been tortured before she was shot. Nothing in her financial or personal history to indicate why she would have been killed like this." Rick answers emotionlessly as he tries to read his boss' body language. Not seeing any real reaction, he decides to press on. "When Beckett and I went back to her apartment, we went through it again... found something interesting..."

This piques the interest of Montgomery and now he looks directly at Rick. "What did you find?"

"Nothing. But we did find where it was hidden. It looked like a standard sized envelope had been taped to the bottom of a drawer in her dresser. We sent what we found to the lab to see if there were any fingerprints." Rodgers replies as Beckett watches her partner and the captain closely.

Montgomery frowns at the news and comments as he returns his attention to whatever he was looking at before they entered his office. "Let me know as soon as you find anything." He responds, effectively dismissing the two.

Kate starts for the door and Rick follows, but stops and turns to face his captain. "I have a crazy theory that Ms Robbins death is somehow tied to the deaths of Raglan and McCallister... Like someone is cleaning house... tying up loose ends. Do you have any idea what could have tied all three together? You knew all three of them."

"I really didn't know any of them that well. Keep me posted if you find out anything new. Goodnight detectives."

"Goodnight sir." Kate replies as both she and Rick leave his office. The two walk back to their desks and gather up their personal belongings before leaving the precinct. They remain silent until they are inside the cruiser.

"He's lying. And he's scared." Beckett offers, breaking the silence. "Your old partner confirmed that Roy worked with those two a lot longer than what he admitted to."

"Somehow, everything seems to tie back to Bob Arman's murder. We need to access the records for that case." Rick replies.

"How are we going to do that without painting an ever larger bullseye on us?" Kate counters.

"I know a guy in Internal Affairs that may be willing to help." Rodgers answers somewhat reluctantly, knowing how mistrustful most cops were of IA. He knew that more evidence than what he had at this moment was needed before confronting his boss.

Beckett gives her partner an apprehensive look and then nods in agreement. She just hoped that his guy could be trusted.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Six:**

"What's with all this cloak and dagger shit detective Rodgers?" The woman inquires with a scowl as she approaches the table where Rick and Kate were seated.

He can only grin as he rises from his seat and gestures for her to sit. "Ah, Inspector Gates, a pleasure as always..."

Gates' scowl seems to grow as she arches her eyebrow in surprise at his greeting. "Why did you call me anyway?"

"Allow me to introduce you to my partner, detective Katherine Beckett... and Kate, this is Inspector Victoria Gates from Internal Affairs." Rick makes the introduction with a sly smile as the two women cautiously shake each other's hand.

"What would you like? I'm buying." Rodgers offers.

"Trying to bribe me already?" Gates counters with a sly smile of her own.

"Hardly." Rick chuckles. "I suffer from that unfortunate ailment called manners. I was taught that if you invite someone for a meal, you pay for it."

"So how is Martha?" Gates inquires. She knew that he was the son of the actress and found it amusing for some reason.

"Enjoying Disneyworld with my daughter and her son at the moment." Rick smiles and gestures to Kate as he speaks. His expression hardens as he continues to talk. "But that's not why I wanted to talk to you. There was a murder we picked up yesterday. The victim's name was Mary Ellen Robbins. She had been tortured and then shot in the back of the head."

"So what does that have to do with me?" Gates counters, not understanding where he was going.

"Do you remember the Bob Arman case? How Joe Pulgotti swore that he was being kidnapped by the group of men that had been rumored to be responsible for several mobsters being taken for ransom?" Rodgers inquires.

"How could I forget? It was my first case as an investigator in Internal Affairs. They paired me up with an old timer that was about to retire. The FBI was breathing down the Commissioner's neck wanting the case wrapped up nice and neat. The DA's office was also, wanting us to discredit Pulgotti's claims that the kidnappers were cops." Gates replies.

"What if I told you that the two detectives that were assigned to the Arman case both died in the last week? And that Ms Robbins was the personal assistant for the ADA who prosecuted the case?" Rick asks. "Would you say it was coincidence?"

Gates frowns as she processes everything she just heard. Victoria Gates did not believe in coincidence. "Someone's tying up loose ends... but for what?"

"My mother had agreed to look into Pulgotti's claims that he was railroaded into the conviction for Arman's murder. I don't know what she found, but whatever it was, she was murdered because of it. It was a professional hit. We caught the man who been hired to kill her, but he was killed while in custody before I could get him to talk." Kate offers while trying to keep her emotions in check as she recalls the painful facts.

"We suspect that there are cops involved with this. We don't know who we can trust. We can't talk to our boss..." Rodgers adds.

"Ah, yes Roy Montgomery..." Gates replies, as she considers what she wants to say in response. "You know that he was partnered with Raglan and McCallister when Arman was killed?" Both Rick and Kate nod their heads in response. "He was transferred to another precinct immediately after that and never worked the investigation. His career since has been exemplary since, but..."

Gates pauses, not sure how much she should say about a man whose career since the incident has been a standard to measure others by, but then decides to continue. "Roy was a rookie detective, green as the grass when he was first paired up with Raglan and McCallister. They took him under their wing and I'm sure that he would have done anything to please them."

"Including kidnapping mobsters and holding them for ransom." Rick finishes her thought for her.

Gates simply nods in silent agreement. "I knew that they were dirty, but I could never put together a case. The mobsters that they took wouldn't say anything out of fear or embarrassment. Who knows how long it went on before Arman's death?"

"What about a money trail?" Kate inquires.

"Banking records showed nothing. More than likely they kept it in cash, hidden somewhere. I checked to see if any of them made any big buck purchases then and found nothing at the time." Gates replies.

"So what do we do? If you're right, that whoever is pulling the strings is tying up loose ends now, then Montgomery is next,

unless..." Rick pauses mid comment as an idea forms. "Unless he has evidence that could hurt whoever is responsible."

"What's to stop them from torturing him or his family like they did Robbins?" Beckett counters and Gates nod in agreement.

"I need to talk to him." Rick comments with a frown. "Before he does something that gets us all killed."

"What do you plan on saying to him?" Gates asks, not sure if the timing was right.

"The truth. At least as we know it. That everything seems to be tied back to Bob Arman's murder and that somehow he's involved." Rodgers replies.

"Let's say he is involved, why would he suddenly break whatever silent agreement that he's had for over a decade? With you, of all people?" Gates counters.

"Because he has no choice. If the man behind all of this is after him now, who can he turn to?"

Gates agrees to secretly look back into the Arman case and identify anyone involved at that time. The three agreed to share whatever they learned with each other through meetings away from their NYPD offices. They were reasonably assured that whoever was calling the shots had ties to the force. She left first, leaving Rick and Kate alone to plot their next move and to avoid being seen with them if anyone was watching.

Still not confident in their plan, the two rode back to the precinct. As they arrived on their floor, Rick glances into Montgomery's office, confirming that he was inside. Deciding that they could no longer wait, the two detectives approach his door and knock on the frame. Roy looks up from whatever he was working on at that moment and gestures for the two to enter.

"What do you have detectives?" Roy starts the conversation with a question of his own. Montgomery points to the chairs for the two to sit.

"Yeah, about that...". Rodgers remarks as he sits down beside Beckett. "All we know for sure was that whoever worked the vic over was a pro. Someone who was familiar with getting answers from people... probably ex military... like Dick Coonan." Rick pauses to see how his boss reacts to the fact that he has tied this murder back to that case. "Everything seems to somehow tie back to Bob Arman's murder."

"That's pretty thin detective. What proof do you have?" Roy counters, trying to mask the unease that he felt at the moment.

Rick looks at Kate as they both frown, knowing that Montgomery was going to offer nothing unless confronted with the facts. He takes a calming breath before continuing. "Look, I know that you were partnered with Raglan and McCallister when you were a rookie detective and that you were transferred out of the precinct during the Arman case. Joe Pulgotti still swears that the killer was one of the men who tried to kidnap him that night. The same men who were suspected of being rogue cops who thought they were extracting justice in their own way..."

He pauses and looks at Kate seeking her silent approval to continue. "Johanna Beckett decided to look into Pulgotti's claims and ended up being murdered in the exact same alley that Arman was killed. Why? We learned that she wasn't the only one killed for looking into that case. Two assistants in her law office and a clerk in the records office also died under similar circumstances over the months after Johanna's murder. The ME never made the connection at the time, but I know a guy..."

"The ADA who prosecuted the case was William Bracken who made a name for himself from it. Bracken left the DA's office soon after that and used the notoriety as a platform for his run at the state senate. He's in the US senate now... His personal assistant was Ms Robbins, our latest victim. Someone is tying up loose ends and anyone involved with the Arman case is on the list..." Rodgers pauses to see how his boss reacts.

"Let's say this is true, two things... one, why is Pulgotti still alive? And two, why are you asking me about this?" Montgomery inquires.

"Pulgotti still has his mob ties in prison. Everyone knows that and to kill him would draw undue attention to whomever is behind this. Besides, after Johanna's death, he dropped any requests for an appeal. Pulgotti's smart enough to know that her death was a message to him also." Rick replies.

"And we know that you were partners with Raglan and McCallister at the time of Arman's death. We know that someone pulled some strings to get you transferred to another precinct." Beckett adds. "You know that they're coming after you... Help us stop them."

There was an extended silence as the two detectives looked at their boss, waiting for a response. He sighs and rises to his feet. "I'm sorry detectives, but you've been mislead by someone. I worked with Raglan and McCallister for a few weeks as a rookie. I was working at the twenty second precinct when Arman was killed. You can check the records."

"Records can be altered." Rodgers replies matter-of-factly. "We know you were with them up to the Arman case. I've got very reliable sources that can confirm that. How deep are you into this?"

"You're dismissed detectives." Roy replies, effectively ending the conversation and gestures to the door. Rick and Kate rise up from their seats and walk to the door.

Rick stops at the door and turns to face Montgomery. "I hope that whatever evidence you have that you think is keeping you safe is hidden better than what Robbins did... Will it keep Evelyn and the kids safe?" Rodgers opens the door as he and Beckett walk out of the office.

"He's scared." Beckett comments as the two walk to the bullpen.

"He should be. These people will get to him. Probably his family too." Rodgers replies.

"What about us?"

"We're in the crosshairs now, if we weren't before when Raglan contacted you. We've got to convince Montgomery that his only hope is to tell us everything." Rick replies, taking her hand into his, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Kate walks to her desk and starts to sit when she notices it. Lying there in three pieces was her mother's elephant family statue. A handwritten note lay below it explaining that it had been knocked off of her desk during an altercation with a suspect the night before. There was no signature, but Beckett recognizes the handwriting as that of Karpowski, the other female detective in homicide. Fighting back a sob, she starts to examine the broken pieces of her cherished keepsake, cursing herself for not putting it away safe. She picks up and looks at the largest piece of the now ruined figurine and once again can feel that there's something moving inside. She carefully examines the piece and can see the foreign object now.

Rick watches in silence as she opens her desk drawer and extracts a letter opener. Beckett pokes the letter opener into the fragment, working it inside until the object fall out onto her desk. She stares at the micro-cassette tape laying before her, puzzled at how it had made its way inside her mother's sculpture. She opens the bottom drawer of her desk and extracts her micro cassette player.

Kate puts the tape inside and presses the play button as Rick watches in silence. She frowns as there is nothing but tape hiss to hear for nearly a minute and the tape comes to a stop. She opens the recorder and flips the tape over, reinserting it. Pressing play again, Beckett listens intently to the tape. After several seconds of silence, sounds of a phone conversation starts. Kate gasps as she recognizes one of the voices on the tape as that of Montgomery. She stops the tape from playing and gives Rick a nudge of her head towards the elevator.

He gives her a smile in understanding and rises to his feet. "Let's call it a day partner. We've got nothing new and it's getting late." He looks over at the desk where Ryan and Esposito were sitting and calls out. "Why don't you guys head off early? We're on call tonight anyway and with the luck we've had recently, we'll get a case as soon as we get to bed."

Both Kevin and Javi smile at the thought of getting out an hour early. They had put in long hours this week working the Robbins case and knew that it would end up going cold. They quickly got to their feet, putting on their jackets and were out of bullpen before Rick could change his mind. They exchange pleasantries as they continue towards the elevator and both Rick and Kate try not to smile as they watch the two exit.

"Let's get out of here partner." Rick comments to Kate as he watches her pocket the tape recorder into her jacket. The two walk out of the bullpen and are soon in his cruiser and into the rush hour Manhattan traffic.

Kate extracts the tape recorder from her pocket and presses play. The two listen silently to hear the other voice on the tape responding to Montgomery's comment that "Johanna Beckett was poking her nose into the Arman case. What do we do?"

The other voice on the tape sounded vaguely familiar to both of them, but neither could place a name with it. Kate gasps as she listens to this man calmly explain to Montgomery how he would 'take care of' the Johanna Beckett problem once and for all. A thousand questions came to her mind as she listens to her boss and the mystery man talk about murdering her mother as if she was nothing more than a minor annoyance. A buzzing fly to be swatted.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty Seven:**

Kate and Rick arrived at the loft a few minutes after they listened to the tape a second time. He had no idea what to say to her that would provide even a modicum of comfort to her at that moment. They each called their respective parents and children enjoying a fleeting moment of normalcy. The kids were having a blast at Disneyland and both Martha and Jim were also. They were both anxious to know how much longer their 'vacation' was expected to last. Both Kate and Rick assured them that it wouldn't be more than a few days, a week at the most. Or at least that was what they hoped now armed with the evidence that they had.

Rick made a quick call for a pizza, although neither was hungry. He opened a bottle of wine and poured them both a large glass as they sat together on the living room sofa. Rick draped his arm around Kate's shoulder and held her closely to him. He could see that something was really troubling her, but wanted to wait as she appeared to be working the problem in her mind.

"How did my mother get the tape she had?" Beckett asks out loud to herself. "Unless... no, that doesn't make sense."

"What are you thinking Kate?" Rick asks.

"There's only two possible explanations. Either someone was bugging Roy's phone... or he made a copy and sent it to her." Kate replies.

"Why would he do that? He's acknowledging that he was at the minimum an accessory to attempted murder if he gave it to her. No, someone was bugging either Montgomery's phone..."

"Or the man who ordered her murder." Kate finishes his thought for him. "It still doesn't explain how the tape got to her."

The two sit there in silence, Rick's arm still holding her close to him. He places a soft kiss on the top of her head and whispers. "We'll figure this out." He started to continue with his thought when there was a knock at the door. Both flinch at the sound, but Rick remembers the pizza they ordered and grins. "I forgot about our food." He pushes himself up from the sofa and walks to the door, but stops suddenly and retreats to the kitchen to where he laid his service weapon.

Kate looks his way and is immediately on alert seeing Rick grab his weapon. He places his finger to his lips indicating for Kate to be silent. He slowly pulls the slide back on his weapon to chamber a round as he yells towards the door. "Just a minute while I grab my wallet." He quietly approaches the door as Kate gets up from the sofa and grabs her weapon that was lying on the coffee table. She follows behind him on bare feet as he motions for her to get on the side of the door that she would be behind if opened.

Rick waves his hand quickly in front of the spy hole in the door simulating someone looking out into the hallway and moves to the other side. Sure enough, within a second the sound of a battering ram striking the door was heard, flowed in rapid succession by several more. Within a few seconds the door frame gives way and the door flies open, nearly striking Beckett. The ram is dropped and two men enter the loft with weapons at the ready. Both men were carrying Uzis, the drug dealers weapon of choice.

Rick quickly pushes the barrel of his Glock into the base of the second man's neck as he growls. "Drop your weapon."

The first thug quickly turns, preparing to shoot at where the sound is coming from, but can see that Rodgers is using the other man as a human shield. He growls back at Rick while aiming his weapon at the other thug. "Go ahead and shoot him. You're still dead." He squeezes the trigger of his machine gun at the man in front of Rodgers.

Hearing the shots fired, Beckett quickly moves from behind her spot behind the door and fires three rounds at the man. He immediately drops his weapon and falls to the floor in agony, clutching his gut. Rick shoves the lifeless body of the thug that had served as a shield onto the floor beside the second thug and kicks away his weapon.

Kate stands there , her weapon ready and watches as Rick kneels down by the thug lying there clutching his gut. He grabs the man by the shoulder and looks into his eyes. "Who sent you?" He menacingly asks. "You know, gut shots are probably the most painful way to go. You could lay here for hours before you finally bleed out. And even if you were to get medical treatment, the odds of your survival go down with each passing minute... So I'm going to ask you one more time, who sent you?"

"Screw you! I'm no rat." The man responds as he fights back the pain.

"Suit yourself. I'll just wait until you die then." Rodgers calmly replies. "Besides, I already know who you work for. I just wanted you to confirm it." He rises to his feet and pulls his phone from his pocket, quickly dialing a number. After a few seconds, he begins to speak. "Yeah, this is detective Rodgers. We've got a ten thirty two. One dead and one wounded. 447 Broome Street apartment 4A. Yeah, thanks." He closes his phone and slips it back into his pocket.

Rodgers returns his attention to the man on the floor. "So why does Vulcan Simmons want me dead, Jako?" He inquires, surprising the man. Rick remembered the thug from a murder case that he had worked before Kate. James, 'Jako' Marley was brought in as the prime suspect in a gang murder of a rival drug dealer. Of course Marley walked, thanks to the alibi provided by Simmons and several of his 'associates' who said he was at a nightclub across town at the time of the shooting. The lone eyewitness to the crime recanted his testimony a day later, obviously intimidated by someone and they were forced to let him walk.

"Don't know man. You gotta do something!" Jako manages to get out between gasps.

"If you're looking for sympathy, look in the dictionary. It's someplace between shit and syphilises. You just tried to kill my partner and I... I know you murdered Rolland Bleaker two years ago. Why don't you clear your conscience and tell me why Simmons sent you?" Rick replies as he grabs a couple of towels from his kitchen drawer. He kneels down and shoves the thug's hands away so he can place the towels over the wound.

Kate has lowered her weapon by now, but it still remains clutched tightly in her hand. She was trying to process everything that has happened in the last few minutes. Nothing made sense. 'Why would Vulcan Simmons want them dead? Was he tied to her mother's death somehow?'

Rick kept pressure on the wound to slow the bleed, hoping that Marley would confirm that Simmons had ordered the hit. He could sense that the man was ready to pass out from blood loss and needed him to confess before the police arrived. He slowly starts to increase the pressure on the wound. "Tell me Jako, did Simmons send you?" He asks as he presses harder and harder on the wound.

Marley lets out a moan and passes out, effectively ending any chance at tying Simmons to his actions. Rick releases the pressure on the wound a little and slams his other fist to the floor in frustration just as the first responders arrive. Within minutes, Jako is being carted away by EMTs and a pair of detectives from the nineteenth precinct are questioning Rick and Kate regarding the shooting.

Rodgers knew the lead detective, Jerry Powell by reputation only and that wasn't good. Jerry was a twenty year plus seniority guy who had been friends with both Raglan and McCallister. While that didn't make him dirty, it certainly didn't bode well either. His partner was a young Hispanic woman that Rick could only guess was in her late twenties at the most. They took Rick and Kate's statements, asking virtually no follow-up questions as the CSI team and the ME did their jobs.

About thirty minutes had elapsed when Montgomery appears at the loft. He exchanges an uncomfortable glance towards his two detectives as he scans the scene. Walking to where they were standing, Roy introduces himself to Powell and his partner, asking to speak to them in private. The three walk away leaving Rick and Kate wondering what was being said. They could see that whatever Montgomery was saying to the two detectives was not going over well with Powell, as he kept looking at them.

Montgomery walks away from the two and back to where Rick and Kate were standing. Roy hold out his hand before speaking. "I need your weapon detective. They need to run ballistics to confirm that you were the only one to shoot Marley. You're both suspended with pay until the investigation is completed. Don't worry. Detective Powell assured me that this was a justified shooting."

Kate walks to the kitchen and picks up her weapon from where she had placed it after the shooting. She returns to where Rick is still standing with their captain and hands him the gun. Roy nods in acceptance and walks away from the two. He hands the gun over to Powell and the two exchange more words, just before Montgomery exits the loft.

Nearly another half hour passes before the CSI and ME's teams are done. They filter out of the loft one by one leaving only Powell and his partner with Beckett and Rodgers. The two walk up to Rick and Kate as Jerry begins to speak. "Looks like a righteous shooting to me. We may need to bring you both in if we have any more questions, so please stay in town." Both he and his partner turn and start to walk away, but then Powell stops just before reaching the door and turns to face them. "One thing that keeps bugging me... why would Vulcan Simmons want you two dead? I mean you both claim to have no dealings with him... hinky, very hinky." He shakes his head as he exits the apartment .

Rick extends his arm and wiggles his hand for Kate to take. "Let's get out of here."

Kate reaches for his hand, tightly clasping it, as he pulls her up from where she was sitting. He continues to pull her tight against his body and wraps his arms around her. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you." Rick kisses her cheek softly as his fingertips trace the contours of her face.

"I know what you mean Rick. When I saw Jako shoot, I thought that I lost you." Kate tilts her head to look into his eyes. They held each other for a moment before he releases her from his hold, yet still clutches her hand as he pulls her into the bedroom.

"Pack up a change of clothes. We're not sleeping here." Rick comments as he releases her hand and walks to his closet. He pulls out a small bag and starts to throw some clothes into it as she does the same. They're out the door and on the elevator a few minutes later.

"Where are we going Rick?" Beckett inquires.

"Someplace safe." He replies as he takes her hand in his again, giving it a reassuring squeeze.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Eight:**

The traffic at this early hour of the morning was much lighter, but still present. Rick drove in silence, obviously in deep thought and Kate decided to turn on the radio to calm her nerves. She was adjusting the dial, looking for something to listen to when she hears it and gasps. "My name is William Bracken and I approved this ad."

Rick looked at her equally stunned as he also recognized the voice. "No way!" He nearly shouts in disbelief. The look he shares with Kate at that moment confirms his suspicion. He pulls his cruiser up in front of the entrance to the Waldorf Astoria and quickly exits the car. He opens the door for Kate and then grabs their bags from the trunk. Rick tosses the keys to the valet and the two walk into the front desk. The night manager greets the two and asks if they have a reservation, which they don't.

"The only room we have available is one of our executive suites and they go for $1200.00 per night." The manager comments, sure that this would drive them away.

"I was actually hoping for something a little nicer than that, but I guess that will have to do." Rick replies facetiously, which causes Kate to giggle. He tosses his Amex black card on the counter.

The manager recognizes the card immediately and knew that it had an unlimited line of credit. It's amazing just how fast someone's attitude can change when money is involved. The aloof attitude replaced with a 'whatever you need sir, don't hesitate to call'.

They arrived in their suite a few minutes later. Both were physically and emotionally spent from the events of the last 24 hours. "You know, we never had dinner. Want to try out their room service?" Rick inquires as he flops down in one of the room's chairs.

Kate considers his comment and replies. "All I really want to do is try and get some rest. I think I'm too tired to eat, but you can go ahead."

"No way. I need you to keep up your strength. I have a feeling that we'll have little time for either over the upcoming days." He replies as he gets up from the chair and closes the distance between he and Kate who was standing by the bed. He pulls her into his arms and gives her a gentle kiss on the lips. "I love you Kate. More than I thought was possible."

She wraps her arms around him and gives him a kiss of her own. "I love you too."

Kate awoke with her arm draped across Rick's bare abdomen and her head on his chest. She wasn't sure if it was absolute exhaustion, or the sense of security that she felt being held in his arms, but she slept soundly all night. Lifting her head, she smiles seeing the peaceful look on his face as he slept. She places a gentle kiss on his lips and watches as a smile forms on his face.

"You know I could get used to this." He remarks as he slowly opens his eyes. "Did I ever tell you that you are the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen?"

Kate could see from the look in his eyes that he honestly believed what he had said and gives him another kiss. "You're not so bad yourself."

He wraps his arms around her lithe frame holding her against him, reveling in the feeling. The mood was quickly broken by the loud rumbling from his stomach that causes Kate to giggle and Rick to give her an embarrassed look in response. "What? We were both to tired to eat last night, remember?"

Kate arches her eyebrow and gives him a sultry look. "We were too tired to do anything else either." She purrs into his ear as she rubs her body against his.

Accepting her challenge, he quickly rolls her over on her back and begins works a path from one ear to the other across her neck with a string of kisses. He growls as he begins his effort. "There's something else I want more than food..."

In spite of everything that was happening to them at the time, they needed this moment together. Maybe even more than normal. Their lovemaking was slow and tender and they both knew that they had found their other half, the person that made them feel complete. Outside this room, the world was filled with bad people that would try to do them harm, but in this bed, at this moment, there was only the two of them.

A little over an hour later the two emerge from their room, bags in hand. Rick checks out of the room and they have breakfast in the hotel's restaurant. Kate was surprised just how hungry she actually was and ate everything on her plate. Rick teased her about keeping up her strength as they seemed to burn a lot of calories when they were alone together. She playfully punches him on his arm and remarks that he wasn't complaining earlier. There was an ease between them, a level of comfort that some couples take years to achieve.

After a quick breakfast in the hotel's restaurant, they were in the cruiser and on their way to the Federal building. Rick explained that he knew a guy in the FBI that he could trust. They flashed credentials to the receptionist in the lobby and Rodgers asked to speak to Jordan Shaw. The receptionist makes a call and hands the two visitors badges. He thanks the woman and the two clear security and get into the elevator.

Exiting the elevator the two walk down the hall to Shaw's office. Obviously Rick had been here before. He stops in front of the door and knocks. A female's voice replies for him to enter. The two walk into the office and Kate is surprised to find that the 'guy' he knew was very female.

Jordan rises up from her seat and smiles. "Richard Rodgers. What brings you to my office this morning?" She extends her hand to him, which he gives a shake. She then turns to Kate and offers her hand. "Jordan Shaw. And you are?"

Beckett shakes the proffered hand and replies. "Detective Katherine Beckett, NYPD. I'm Rick's partner."

Jordan arches her eyebrows and offers Rick a knowing smirk. After all as the top profiler of the FBI, she could read people and what she read was two people that were much more than professional partners. "So what brings you two here today?" Shaw gestures for the two to sit as she returns to her seat.

Rick closes her office's door and takes a seat beside Kate, facing Jordan. "I, we need your help..." He looks at Beckett, who nods for him to continue. "A few weeks ago, we were approached by a retired NYPD detective about a murder that happened over a decade ago. An undercover FBI agent named Bob Arman. A sniper shot him before he could tell us why he had to talk to us. A professional hit. A few days later, Raglan's former partner was found dead in his Florida home..."

"Somehow their deaths were tied to the Arman case. Kate went to Sing Sing to talk to Joe Pulgotti, the man that was convicted for the crime. Joe has claimed that he was innocent from the start and that rogue cops had set him up for the crime. Years ago, he managed to convince a lawyer to take a look at his case. That attorney was found dead in the same alley where Arman was killed..."

"That attorney was my mother. The detectives assigned to her case were Raglan and McCallister, who wrote her death off as an act of random gang violence..." Kate finishes for him. "A while ago, Rick went behind my back and sent the ME's report to a friend of his. The pathologist discovered that her death was a professional hit similar to several others during that time period. A few months ago, we picked up the murder case of an enforcer for the Irish mob. Our ME discovered that he had been killed in the same manner and with the same weapon as my mother."

Kate pauses for a moment to take a calming breath before continuing. "We discovered that the victim's brother was involved in a heroin smuggling operation. The very operation that the victim was trying to take down. We connected the dots and were able to confirm that the brother was also the killer. We tried to cut a deal with him to reveal who hired him to kill my mother, but he tried to trick us. He was killed in jail before he could tell us who hired him. Not long after that Raglan approached us..."

"A few days ago, we picked up another case. A woman who used to work for the assistant DA that prosecuted the Arman case. She'd been tortured and shot execution style in the back of the head. We found evidence that she had something hidden in her apartment. Something that was worth killing her for."

"Okay, so what does this have to do with me?" Shaw inquires, not sure why they were telling her any of this.

"Pulgotti always claimed that there were three cops involved in Arman's death. It's a pretty safe bet that Raglan and McCallister were two of them. We started digging to find out who the third cop was and discovered that our Captain worked with them until the Arman case. Someone in the DA's office pulled some strings and got him transferred to another precinct. The assistant DA that prosecuted the case left his job soon after that and went into politics. He's running for the US Senate now. His name is William Bracken..." Rick replies.

"I still don't follow. Are you trying to say that your Captain and Bracken are part of some conspiracy? What proof do you have?" Jordan counters, still not sure where any of this was going.

"We tried to confront our Captain about this, but he claimed that he only knew about his former partners by reputation only and had never worked with them. We knew he was lying, but didn't press him any further. Then by accident, we came across evidence that ties Montgomery and Bracken to her mother's murder." He looks at Kate and nods his head for her to continue.

Beckett reaches into her purse and pulls out the micro cassette recorder and places it on Shaw's desk. She presses the play button and the three listen to the conversation captured on tape. Once the conversation was over, Kate stops the tape and begins to speak. "We can confirm that Montgomery is one of the men on the tape..."

"That's where you come in. We need you to send this to the FBI lab and confirm that the other voice on the tape is Bracken's." Rodgers finishes for his partner. "You're the only person we can trust as we have no idea how many people in the NYPD and the DA's office are involved."

"And there's another player in this... Last night, two of Vulcan Simmons' thugs made a visit to my loft. They were there to kill us, but my partner is a very good shot..." Rick gives a nod to Kate as he speaks.

As a resident of the city, Jordan was keenly aware of who Simmons was and a few of the activities that he was rumored to be involved in, yet never seemed to be convicted of. She always assumed that someone was protecting him and this news seemed to support that theory. "The agency and the DEA have been trying to make something stick on him for years." She then looks at the tape recorder in Beckett's hand. "I'll need a copy of that tape to send to the lab..." She gestures towards the tape recorder.

"You hang on to the original. As soon as I get confirmation that the voice on the tape is Bracken's, we'll see what our next move is. I assume that your families are someplace safe?" Jordan inquires.

"For now." Rodgers replies. "I don't know how much longer we can keep them away before they start to ask the type of questions that we can't answer right now. How long will it take your people to verify the voice?"

"Honestly, I don't know. Our lab here is pretty good, but if there's any doubt, I'll send it to D.C." Shaw answers with a sigh. "This would be so much easier if you could get Montgomery to talk. I'd be willing to bet that he must have something on Bracken that's pretty incriminating, or he'd be dead like his old partners. You may want to try to talk to him again."

"We're planning on doing that." Rick replies as Kate removes the tape and hands it to Shaw. Jordan calls for one of her staff to make a copy of the tape and return both to her immediately. The junior agent simply nods and exits the room without a word. "Jordan looks at the two sitting across from her and grins. "Don't worry. We have a high speed duplicator. It should only take a couple of minutes."

True to her word, a few minutes later the agent returns and places the tapes on her desk. She thanks him and hands the original back to Kate, who places it back inside her recorder. She presses play and waits until she can hear the conversation on the tape. Beckett looks at Shaw and comments. "I needed to make sure the recording was still there."

"I understand completely." Shaw replies. "If I were in your shoes, I'd have a hard time trusting anyone. Like I said, as soon as I hear anything, I'll let you know." She then glances at her watch. "I've got a meeting that I need to be at in five minutes, so if there's nothing else..."

Rick smiles and pushes himself up from his chair. "Thank you Jordan. I owe you." He extends his hand to her as both she and Kate get up from their seats.

They exchange handshakes and Shaw remarks to Beckett. "Take care of him. I can tell by the way he looks at you that he's head over heels for you. " Jordan can only laugh at the surprised look on Kate's face. "I thought Rick told you I was a profiler? But then again it wouldn't take much skill to see that he's nuts about you. And I'm pretty sure you feel the same way for him."

Rick thanks her again for her help and the two exit her office. Minutes later, they were back in the cruiser and on their way to the precinct. "What do we tell Montgomery when he wants to know why we're late coming in?" Kate asks as neither knew what to say about Shaw being so easily able to tell that they were romantically involved.

"A version of the truth. We'll tell him that we went to see Jordan about the Robbins case. We were checking to see if the FBI was investigating any similar cases. That will explain why we were there if someone was watching us." Rick replies.

They arrived at the precinct and were immediately met by a worried Ryan and Esposito. They had heard all about the shooting the night before and were concerned for their safety. Their late arrival at the twelfth only added to their concern. After assuring their friends that they were okay and that their late arrival was due to a trip to meet with the FBI about the Robbins case, things seemed to calm and they returned to their desks.

Montgomery was out of the office when they arrived and didn't appear until nearly noon. He stopped by their desks when he returned and asked them to join him in his office. They both followed him inside and Rick closes the door behind him. Kate was giving an Oscar worthy performance, masking the rage she felt for the man sitting across from her that was responsible for so much pain.

Roy started off with a warning about trying to investigate the shooting in Rick's loft. That he would be forced to suspend them if he heard they were. Rick assures Montgomery that they were only working their current cases and Kate nods in agreement. While Roy didn't believe that for one moment, he was satisfied that he had done what was expected. The next few minutes were spent discussing their visit to the FBI office earlier.

Tired of the ongoing evasiveness from their Captain, Rick decides that now is the time for confrontation. "We know Roy. We know that you were partnered with Raglan and McCallister for over a year. We know that someone pulled some strings and got you transferred to another precinct after the Arman shooting. We know that they were part of a group of cops that were kidnapping mobsters and holding them for ransom."

"We found the tape. The recording of William Bracken telling you that he would take care of 'that nosy bitch lawyer'." Kate continues. "You knew he was going to kill my mother and you did nothing." She clenched her fists trying to control the rage she felt at that moment.

Roy is shocked by the amount of evidence that they have and knows that the charade is ending. "You're wrong. How do you think that your mother got that tape? I gave it to her as insurance and told her to use it. But she wouldn't listen and continued her investigation of the Arman case. I didn't find out until after she was murdered..."

"So why didn't you come forward? You knew that Bracken had ordered her death. You had the proof." Rodgers questions.

"What proof? Circumstantial at best. What you needed was Dick Coonan to say he was hired by Bracken, but he made sure that didn't happen. No, you've got nothing." Roy counters.

"No, but you've got enough to put him away for a very long time... don't you?" Kate replies with a rhetorical question. She knew that he had something on Bracken. Something big, or else he'd be dead like the others.

"Turn yourself in. Maybe you can cut a deal for Bracken's conviction." Rick offers in spite of how disgusted the thought was to him. A quick look at Kate confirms that she feels the same as he.

"He has people everywhere and the money to hire the best. No, I'll take my chances." Montgomery replies.

"What happens when Bracken decides that you're excess baggage? When he decides that he can use Evelyn or the girls to get you to fork over whatever evidence you have on him... and you know he will." Kate counters.

Montgomery sat there in silence. He knew what Beckett said was true, that eventually Bracken would see him as just another liability to be dealt with. He sighed in resignation before he spoke. "I need guarantees that Evelyn and the girls will go into witness protection before I say a word. Whatever happens to me is my fault."

For a fraction of a second, Kate actually felt sorry for her boss. But just as quickly the realization that her mother would be alive today if it wasn't for his actions, or inaction, a decade earlier.

"Let me make a call to someone I trust at the FBI." Rick offers.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty Nine:**

Hal Lockwood closes his cellphone and growls. He had just informed his employer that his target had been taken into protective custody by the US Marshals Service hours earlier. To make matters worse, the target's family had been whisked away also, effectively taking away any leverage that he may have been able to use. To say that his employer was upset regarding the news would be an understatement.

Hal had been hired to tie up 'loose ends', two retired and one active NYPD detectives. He had no idea why they were targeted and really didn't care. He had built a reputation as an elite assassin and only cared about the job. His speciality was the long distance kill, his skills honed as a Special Forces sniper in Iraq. He was very good at his job.

John Raglan required use of his skills with his rifle, while Gary McCallister required an 'up close and personal' interaction. Roy Montgomery was supposed to be a victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Or at least that was his plan before the NYPD Captan was taken into custody in the middle of the night.

His employer said that he would use his contacts to find out just where they were keeping Montgomery and advised him that he may have to recruit 'help' if a decision was made that a breach of his safe house was justified. Lockwood preferred to work alone, but understood the severity of the situation. Besides, his employer scared the shit out of him.

Known only by the code name 'LocSat', Hal had been recruited a few weeks after his dishonorable discharge from the military. Lockwood had spent the last several years traveling the world for his employer. Judging by the places he seemed to frequent for his assignments, he could only assume that LocSat was deeply involved in the trade of heroin. Whatever LocSat was really involved in mattered little to him.

—

William Bracken ends his call, cursing himself for trusting Roy Montgomery. For over a decade his arrangement with the three detectives had proven to be a good choice. He had profited from their misdeeds and now he was in a position of real power. In spite of his relatively short tenure in Washington, Bracken had been able to secure positions on several key committees. Hell, there was talk about a run for the White House if his career trajectory remained in tact.

The call from his contact in the US Marshals Service did not bear the fruit he had hoped for. All he could confirm was that Roy Montgomery and his family were taken into protective custody. His contact could not confirm where they were being kept, but guessed it was someplace close to the city.

The arrest of Montgomery created another potential threat to his arrangement with his benefactor - Kate Beckett. The daughter of the meddling attorney had posed no threat to him until one of the men involved in the coverup decides to clear his conscience. That had started a chain of events that lead to their present situation.

Montgomery was responsible for making sure that Beckett never looked into her mother's murder. He had a vested interest in making sure that the young detective stayed away from the case as his own sordid role in her murder would be revealed. Bracken had decided to employ Simmons to 'take care of' the detective without the knowledge of his benefactor.

Bracken dreaded making the call to his real employer. After all, this whole mess was due to his past. But the money he obtained from his relationship with the three corrupt cops was what funded his initial foray into politics and onto the radar of the man that had moved him on to the next level.

That and the cut he took from Vulcan Simmons in exchange for making sure that he stayed out of jail while the thug built a drug empire in the city.

His benefactor had approached him when he was making his first run at the senate and promised him a win in exchange for his cooperation. A well funded PAC was created for him that assured his victory in exchange for Bracken's 'assistance' when needed. Using his roles on the various committees that his benefactor had arranged for him to be on, he helped sway policies that would support his boss' agenda - whatever that was.

—

CIA Deputy Director Vikram Singh frowns as he ends the call with Bracken. The Senator had been a valuable asset, but his past transgressions threatened to expose his entire operation - something he could not allow.

He knew that Bracken was dirty, in fact that's why he approached him. Singh was responsible for creating a supply network for heroin that would fund black ops for the agency. Most of these black ops were in support of illegal activities like this. Activities that had made him very wealthy - and powerful.

Compartmentalization was vital to the entire operation and only Bracken knew that he was LocSat. No one in his own agency knew about his role in all of this and assumed that he was nothing more than another government 'suit'. His Pakistani ancestry provided him with the family ties that allowed his frequent visits to the country. Visits that had proven vital when he established the pipeline from Afghanistan years ago.

If they couldn't silence Montgomery, he would be forced to 're-evaluate' his arrangement with the Senator. Corruptible politicians were a dime a dozen in this city. William Bracken was just another interchangeable part in this machine, nothing more.

He'd give his people twenty four hours to rectify the threat and then he would make the changes necessary to assure the continued success of the operation that he had built.

—

Vulcan Simmons was afraid. His former business partner, William Bracken had asked him to help tie up the loose end that was Katherine Beckett. He was sure that his two best enforcers were more than enough for the task. His hubris may have put his entire operation at risk. His contact at the NYPD informed him the Jako Marley had survived, but was in police custody at a nearby hospital. While he trusted his lieutenant to never divulge who had sent him, he couldn't afford to draw any undue attention to either himself or his operation.

Like most successful criminals, he operated a legitimate business to act as a front for his illegal ones. In Simmons case, it was an Import/Export business. This business also served as the method for transporting the heroin that fueled his main money making enterprise. Thanks to the arrangement he had with his new partner, known only by the code name LocSat, he had been able to expand his empire well beyond New York City. In fact, Simmons was responsible for nearly all of the drugs that was found on the East coast.

Any undue attention directed towards he or his business would surely make its way back to LocSat and Vulcan was keenly aware of how his benefactor dealt with problems. LocSat had the resources to make him disappear without a trace and now he had to tell him that his favor for Bracken had brought the attention of the NYPD to his door.

He needed to silence Marley before he could talk.

—

Jordan Shaw sat across from Roy Montgomery and waited for him to begin talking. She had provided the proof he demanded that his wife and children were far away from the city and safe in the custody of the US Marshals. She had advised him that their arrangement was conditional upon his testimony in court against William Bracken and that he would only receive WitSec protection if the evidence lead to a conviction.

Montgomery had provided Shaw's agents with the combination to the hidden safe in his office at the 12th precinct that contained a packet of evidence. They were able to retrieve it during the night as surreptitiously as possible, but Shaw was sure that someone had probably already informed the Senator.

She was right.

With the entire session being recorded, Shaw opened the packet as Montgomery explained what each document represented. There were cancelled checks from bank accounts that could be traced back to the former assistant DA and other financial records. Shaw was smart enough to know that the records themselves only proved that Bracken had paid Montgomery for something. A good attorney would simply argue that it was something perfectly legitimate.

There were several micro cassette tapes in the envelope that were far more valuable to her case. One by one, they played the tapes as Roy explained that he had started to tape every call from Bracken for his own protection. One of the tapes was a duplicate of the one Kate had discovered in her mother's broken elephant sculpture. It was then that Roy revealed that he had sent her a copy of the tape as a last ditch effort to get her to back away from the Pulgotti case. Sent anonymously to her office, he'd hoped that hearing it would stop her. She must have hidden it for safekeeping instead.

When pressed as to why he would do something like that, Montgomery replied that all of the other people that he and the others had came across with their kidnapping scheme were criminals and deserved punishment, even Pulgotti. Johanna Beckett was an innocent and did not deserve to die.

From behind the two way mirror in the observation area adjacent to the interrogation room, Kate fights back tears as she hears her former mentor confess that he had tried to save her mother, but failed. This explained so many things. How she had obtained the tape, why it was a conversation between Montgomery and Bracken only and why he took her under his wing like he did. It also explained why he made sure that she stayed away from her mother's case.

Rick was standing beside her the entire time and could only wrap his arm around her in a comforting hug as she listened to what was being said in the other room. He wished that he could do something for her to help take away the pain. Rodgers couldn't imagine how he would react if the situation was reversed and was convinced that she was even more extraordinary than he believed before. That and the fact he loved her more than anything or anyone.

Other tapes were more damning for the Senator. Calls to Montgomery on behalf of Vulcan Simmons or one of his associates asking for evidence to be 'lost' or paperwork to be mishandled that would assure the guilty would walk away. Shaw pressed Montgomery for more details on Bracken's relationship with Simmons and all he could offer was a guess that they had some sort of an arrangement unbeknownst to him.

It made sense to Shaw. The money that Bracken made from his arrangement with the three corrupt cops was nowhere near what he needed to run a successful campaign - even for the New York State Senate. No, the that type of money could have been provided by Simmons. She would contact the DEA and find out just how much they had on Vulcan after she contacted her boss, the Director of operations for the New York office.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty:**

Cole Maddox closed his flip phone and returned his attention to Colt M1911. The gun was old and required constant cleaning, but Cole liked it. It had served him well over the years and had ended more lives than he cared to remember. The instructions on the phone from the man only known by the code name LocSat were clear - Vulcan Simmons must die before he could be taken into custody by either the FBI or the NYPD. Collateral damage was acceptable if Simmons was dead.

Three hundred miles away a similar call was made to another assassin. Her target would be more difficult to kill. A seated US Senator would require all of her skills to take out without becoming a victim herself. The dossier provided by her employer was extensive, providing her with all of the names of the people close to him, his routines, and his peccadillos.

Getting Bracken alone would not be easy as he was always with a pair of armed bodyguards at all times. But the dossier said that the Senator had a weakness for blondes - busty blondes. She smiled at the thought as she opens her closet and examines the vast selection of wigs at her disposal. She considered her options as she sorted for the perfect dress sure to catch the attention of the corrupt politician.

—

In New York, Jordan Shaw was just finalizing the paperwork from the evidence provided by Montgomery. She would forward her request to a Federal magistrate and obtain the arrest warrants for William Bracken and Vulcan Simmons. As badly as she wanted to be there to arrest the corrupt Senator, Kate agreed to stay in the city and help lead the take down of Simmons.

It had been nearly a week since she and Rick had sent their families away and they could hardly wait to give them the 'all clear' to come back home. It would also give them an opportunity to see how their respective families reacted to the fact that the two have taken their relationship to the next level. They had both been so caught up in the case that neither had been able to devote much thought to what happens next.

The two decide that staying at the loft until Simmons was in custody was a bad idea. Rick calls one of the many contacts that he has made over the years and secures them a suite at another one of the city's finest hotels. They didn't want to risk staying in the same place more than a day or so as they were sure that they were being watched.

They were right.

—

Lockwood receives a text message with another number. He makes a call to the number and is informed that he was to partner with Maddox and a few other 'locals'. Their assignment was simple - take out Vulcan Simmons - collateral damage was acceptable. A source in the Federal building confirmed that warrants had been signed for the arrest of Vulcan. Time was of the essence now as they had to get to him before he was taken into custody. While Lockwood was positive that Simmons would never talk, his employer saw the drug dealer as a loose end that needed to be dealt with - and swiftly.

They would take Simmons down outside one of the strip clubs that he owned as part of his 'legitimate' business. To the rest of the world, it would appear that Simmons had been killed as part territory grab by a rival drug lord. Hal would meet with Cole and the others at midnight to finalize their plans.

—

It was a few minutes after 8:00 pm when Rick received the text message that the warrants had been signed for Simmons arrest. He and Kate were eating dinner at the time in one of the finer restaurants in the city. Normally, he would never eat at a place that he considered overpriced and pretentious, but he wanted to show Kate just how special he thought she was.

Beckett gives him an inquisitive look as he closes his phone and remarks. "Well?"

"We've got the warrants and are good to go. We'll meet with the others at the precinct around midnight to finalize our plans." They both knew it was short notice, but they couldn't trust anyone else in the force to not leak their plans to Simmons. Montgomery had confirmed that Bracken had spies everywhere during his statement to Shaw.

Rodgers made calls to Ryan and Esposito, telling them to meet him at the precinct around eleven and nothing more as to why. It wasn't that he didn't trust them, but was worried that all of their phones could be tapped now. Normally never the paranoid type, this case had started him to question the motives of everyone around him. If their Captain could be involved as deeply as he was, who else had made deals with the corrupt former DA?

Taking a calming breath, he forces a smile on his face as they return their attention to he sinfully overpriced meal before them. Kate can sense the anxiety in Rick as he tries to remain calm. She feels that way too.

They finish their meal and both decline desert, yet decide that coffee was in order. They would both need all of the caffeine they could get. Rick glances at his watch and decides to head to the precinct early. The ride to the twelfth was used to outline his planned approach to Simmons takedown. Kate listened and occasionally offered her opinions and alternatives as she would with any other case. They managed to exchange some playful banter which helped both of them deal with the stress of it all.

—

Vicki Lee Miller, or at least that was the name she used with the temp agency that hired her, smiled as she adjusted the blonde wig on her head and straightened the thick dark rimmed glasses she was wearing. Hired as part of the catering staff, even if she was spotted, no one would know who she really was.

Just another of the seemingly limitless fund raisers that fueled the corrupt political machine that was Washington DC, she grabs a tray of champagne flutes and makes her way through the crowd, looking for her mark. The poison that she used would give all the symptoms of a heart attack. It was something that would never be found unless certain tests were performed specifically for it. Her trademark method of choice.

She spots Bracken standing with a couple of men that she knew were lobbyists for countries that did not have favored nation status with the current administration. She recognized them because she had completed a few 'tasks' for them recently. She watches as the Senator talks to the two men, obviously hoping that they will contribute heavily to his reelection campaign in exchange for a favorable vote from him.

When she sees his current glass near empty, she moves in. Carefully pouring the odorless, colorless and tasteless poison into the flute, she offers a fresh drink to him. Giving the woman a leering smile, he places his empty glass on the tray and takes the proffered champagne. She smiles as the other men do the same and secretly wishes that she had dosed their drinks as well. She moves around the crowd, trying to act normal as she surreptitiously watches the Senator as he begins to sip his drink.

Her tray full of empty flutes now, she works her way back to the kitchen. It will take a few minutes for the poison to work it's way through Bracken's system. By the time he collapses she'll be on her way to BWI and her next assignment.

—

Jordan Shaw's jet touched down at Reagan International Airport a few minutes after eight pm. She had the signed warrant in her briefcase and her team with her. A call to his office confirmed that he was at a fundraiser being held for him at one of the city's most prestigious hotels. A small smile appeared on her face at the thought of perp walking the corrupt politician through the crowd of equally corrupt lobbyists and businessmen hoping to buy his vote.

The local FBI office had left her team with two vehicles at the airport. They quickly made their way through the busy downtown traffic to the hotel. As they came to a stop near the entrance, an ambulance with lights flashing and siren blaring nearly crashes into them. They exit their vehicles and follow the EMTs into the hotel and to the grand ballroom where the fundraiser was being held.

Shaw nearly sprints into the room, passing the EMTs pushing a gurney. She sees the crowd that has gathered around the guest of honor's table and pushes her way through. A middle aged man was attempting CPR on whomever was lying on the floor. She presses forward and finally sees who the victim was. Growling in frustration, Shaw shows her credentials and shouts for everyone to back away so that the paramedics can get to the Senator.

The crowd slowly starts to retreat as the EMT's move in to take over for the man attempting CPR. A quick check with a stethoscope by one of the paramedics confirms what she already suspected. William Bracken was dead.

Jordan Shaw did not believe in coincidences. What were the odds that Bracken would keel over dead minutes before he was arrested for ordering the murder of Johanna Beckett and masterminding the kidnapping and extortion of several mobsters? No, someone was tying up loose ends and Bracken was one of them.

—


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty One:**

They arrive at the precinct a few minutes before ten and start finalize their planned takedown of Simmons. They were barely seated at their desks when Rick receives the call from Jordan. Kate watches him as his whole body seems to deflate from whatever he is hearing. He confirms that he and Kate were still following through with their planned takedown of Simmons and quickly ends the call.

She can sense that whatever he heard from Shaw would upset her, but had no idea what it could be. "What's wrong Rick? You look like someone kicked your puppy." She offers a smile hoping to lighten the mood.

Knowing no easy way of conveying the information to her, Rodgers reaches across his desk and takes her hand in his. "Bracken's dead Kate. Apparent heart attack. Won't know for sure until the autopsy… i'm so sorry."

Beckett gasps as the reality of his words start to sink in. The man that ordered her mother's death as casually as one would call in an exterminator for a pest, would never face justice for his crime. She then realizes that without an arrest, he will die a hero. She had always been afraid that one day they would catch the person responsible for her death and he would plead out to a lesser charge. This was worse.

Much worse.

Rick rises to his feet and walks around to her side of their joined desk. He gently pulls her to his feet and swallows up her lithe form in his arms. "I'm so sorry Kate. I'm so sorry." He whispers into the top of her head over and over as she releases all of the tears she has been holding for years.

Once her sobbing subsided, Rodgers gently lifts her chin from his chest and places a kiss on her lips. "I love you Kate. More than I thought it was possible to love another person."

"I love you too." She replies as she returns his kiss with one of her own.

Ryan and Esposito were grinning like two Cheshire cats as they witnessed Rick and Kate profess their love for each other. "Aww, isn't that sweet?" Espo sarcastically remarks as Kevin enthusiastically nods his head.

"Mom and dad, together at last!" Kevin chimes in.

"Does Lanie know about this?" Javi inquires.

Rick releases Kate from his embrace as she gives the two detectives her best angry eye. "Now's not the time… or the place."

"Aye, aye captain." The two men reply with a mock salute as they turn and walk to their desks.

They stop before taking their seats and turn to look at Rick. "Ugh, boss, why are we in here at this hour?" Kevin asks.

"We're taking down Vulcan Simmons. We've got warrants to bring him in, search his home and his businesses. We know he's got informants in the NYPD so we can't let anybody know what's going down." Rick replies.

"By ourselves?" Espo inquires.

"No, we've got a SWAT team coming in as backup. We'll split into three groups and strike his home, business and club at the same time… Espo, I want you to lead the team going to his home and Kev, I want you to lead the team going to his business. Kate and I'll go after Simmons at his club." Rodgers answers.

The four hammer out the details for their respective missions as the lieutenant of the SWAT team arrives. After exchanging introductions, Rodgers asks him to bring the entire team up to the floor so that they can go over details of the plan.

A few moments later, the members of the SWAT team arrive on the floor. After a brief introduction by their lieutenant of Rick's team, he turns the floor over to Rodgers. The first thing Rick does is to have Espo walk around the room box in hand, and collects everyone's cell phones. The last thing Rick wanted was someone to tip of Simmons.

One by one the men complied and Rick proceeded to fill the group in on the plan. The first team, led by Esposito left first as the travel time to Simmons estate was longer. Next was Kevin's team that would hit his import export business. Rick, Kate and their team went over details of how they would approach Simmons as he would be in public and have bodyguards with him. The last thing they needed was collateral damage.

—

At the same time Rodgers was finalizing his plans for Simmons' arrest, Maddox, Lockwood, and three local thugs for hire were going over their own plan. Maddox would take position from the rooftop across the street from the club. He would take the drug dealer out by himself if everything went to plan and he had a clear shot. Lockwood and the others were backup and make the up close kill if the shot couldn't be taken.

They knew that they had to take Simmons out tonight as their source informed them of the warrants for Vulcan's arrest. Lockwood and Maddox didn't want the attention that would come if a confrontation with law enforcement was part of this, but would do whatever it took to complete their mission.

Collateral damage was acceptable.

—

Vulcan Simmons was nothing if not a creature of habit. Despite the warnings from his source in the NYPD that Jako had survived his shooting and was cutting a deal with the Feds, Simmons decided to act as if nothing had changed. He considered going underground for a while, but knew if he did someone would take his business during his absence. Besides, he had his partner that would protect him from anything the Feds could come up with against him.

He wasn't stupid however and made sure that any drugs that were in his import export business were moved somewhere safe. And other than a large quantity of cash in his safe, his home was clean also. The strip club was a different story. There was always a decent amount of drugs, weapons, and cash there that would require his team of lawyers a lot of hours to get him out of if discovered. As his normal routine was to visit the club just before closing, he decided that he would use the opportunity to make sure that the most incriminating piece of evidence there, his ledgers, were moved somewhere safe.

He might have reconsidered his plan if he had bothered to listen to the news that night and heard about his former partner's untimely death.

—

Maddox had an eagle eye vantage point to the entrance of the club from the roof of building across the street. The plan was simple - wait for Simmons to arrive at the club and take him out before he can enter the building. Lockwood and the others were there as backup in the event that he couldn't take the shot and they had to resort to a more 'up close and personal' method. One thing was certain, Simmons would die tonight. How many others went with him was dependent upon Maddox.

With everyone in position, all they could do now was wait.

Rick, Kate and their portion of the SWAT team arrived a few minutes later. Maddox cursed as he saw the two black SWAT vehicles park a block away from the club in a dead end alley. He radioed the others of the situation as he watches the SWAT team scatter to their assigned positions. Under normal circumstances, Cole would simply abort the mission, but his employer was not the type of person that you wanted to fail. Deciding that a different vantage point was needed, he left the roof and searched the top floor for a different spot that would still give him a clear shot at Simmons.

He quickly picked the lock and entered what he could only assume was some sort of dance studio only seconds before the SWAT team sniper took what was his spot on the roof. Maddox wasn't surprised as it was standard operating procedure. Lockwood and the others were forced to fall back as Rick, Kate and the other members of their team took their places covering the entrances and exits to the club.

Rick's plan was simple enough. Wait for Simmons to arrive, arrest him and execute the search warrant for his club. If all went well, they'd surprise Vulcan before there could be a confrontation. At least that was the plan.

Cole's plan was even simpler - wait for Simmons to arrive, shoot him, and quietly sneak away in the mass of confusion that would be sure to follow.

Several minutes passed with both teams patiently waiting for their opportunity to strike when they saw the obviously armored black Mercedes SUV comes to stop in front of the club. A rather large, and well armed bodyguard emerges from the front passenger door as another equally menacing man appears from rear door of the drivers side. Both men scanned the surrounding area for any obvious threats as the rear passenger door opens and Vulcan Simmons appears.

"Showtime." Rick calmly calls out to the other members of the team on the radio mike.

Rick and Kate begin to approach Simmons from their observation point between the two buildings across the street. Both were wearing their bullet proof vests and holding their badges up high. "NYPD! Vulcan Simmons, you are under arrest!" Rodgers shouts out as they continue to approach the three men who have now stopped walking towards the club's entrance.

Simmons turns to face the two approaching detectives and grins. "Well if it isn't detectives Beckett and Rodgers. What brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"We have warrant for your arrest and a search warrants for your home and businesses." Rick replies with a smirk of his own. "And before you or your goons get any bright ideas, we've got the entire area surrounded."

Rodgers' remarks causes Vulcan to laugh out loud. "Oh I surrender detectives. What with me being a law abiding businessman and all." He's still laughing as the shot is fired and pieces of his brain spatter on his two goons, the sidewalk, and the entrance doors to his club.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty Two:**

After the nearly headless body of Simmons hits the sidewalk mere feet away from the entrance to his club, all hell breaks loose. The two bodyguards draw their weapons and start to fire blindly into the general direction that the shot came from. Rick and Kate had both taken cover behind Simmons' SUV. They knew that their sniper was on the roof of the building across the street and could easily take them all out if he was the one that had taken the shot.

Hearing the gunfire, the other members of their team close in. Rick sees the others approaching and tries to yell out for the bodyguards to drop their weapons.

As soon as the kill shot was fired, Maddox began the process of breaking down his rifle and policing the area of the single spent shell casing. After packing everything away in his duffel bag, he quickly exits the room and makes his way down the stairs.

Cole keys the signal into his mike as he waits by the rear exit of the building. Lockwood gives a nod to the two goons that they brought with them and they follow behind the members of the SWAT team who were closing in on the two bodyguards near the club's entrance. Their job was simple - get close enough to the SWAT team to lob a couple of flash bang grenades in their general direction. Maddox would escape in the mass of confusion that would follow.

Lockwood chuckles as the two goons approach the SWAT team from behind. Their plan was working perfectly. He climbs into the taxi that he had stolen and waits for Maddox. No one notices taxis in New York. The first flash bang exploded about fifty feet from the rear most members of the SWAT team sending them charging forward and away from the blast.

The SWAT sniper still in his position on the roof, kept his focus on the two bodyguards standing there with weapons drawn and wondering why Rodgers hadn't given him the go to take down the men. Luckily for him, he had looked away from his night vision scope for a moment when the first flash bang exploded. He quickly focused his attention and his rifle to where the light and sound came from.

He scans the area behind the flash and spots the second goon about to toss his grenade towards the crowd. No longer waiting for a go, he takes aim and fires as the second goon drops to the ground before he could throw his flash bang at the others.

—

Six Weeks Later:

The final report on the 'Simmons Incident' as it was referred to by the AG and NYPD task force, attributed Vulcan's death to a rival drug lord's quest to take his territory and nothing more. Both Rick and Kate were found blameless in the incident and recommended for commendations. Simmons empire was no more and the ledger they obtained shed no light on who his partners were as he had used code names to identify them. All of the financial accounts led to off shore banks that did not share information.

Both Rick and Kate knew that the whole thing felt like a white wash.

With Bracken's sudden death, Montgomery's information was of no real value to the Feds and they nearly withdrew their offer of protection for his family. The New York State Attorney General petitioned the US Marshals Service to honor the agreement and a task force was created to look into corruption in the NYPD and the District Attorney's office.

A new Captain was brought in to run the twelfth precinct. James Walden was a political animal that looked at the job as nothing more than a stepping stone on his rise to Commissioner one day. Rodgers disliked the man from the moment they met as Walden had never been involved in the 'real world', spending his career to this point in time as nothing more than an administrative lackey for those in power at 1PP.

The way Walden seemed to leer at his partner didn't help either.

With the threats to their families apparently gone for good, things returned to what they both defined as the new normal. They were both in love with each other and were struggling with how to move their relationship to the next level and still remain professional partners.

Sales from his book were exceeding expectations and he knew that his career was at a crossroads. He had already outlined his next novel and Black Pawn was anxiously waiting for it. With the wealth he had amassed already, he could provide the type of life for the people he loved that they deserved. Those people now included Kate and Nathan.

It was time.

Their shift was nearly over. They had just secured the confession from the killer, thanks to Kate's work in the interrogation room and closed the case that they had been working for the last three days. Deciding that a celebration was in order, Rick invites Javi, Kevin, and Lanie to join them for drinks at The Olde Haunt. The three people that knew how Rick and Kate truly felt about each other and went out of their way to help keep their secret from the others at the precinct, especially Walden.

They managed to leave the precinct on time, deciding that the paperwork could wait until tomorrow. The five walk into the bar and head for what Kate thought of as 'their' booth, only to see Ryan's girlfriend Jenny already seated there. Kevin slid into the booth first taking a seat beside his girlfriend while Kate slid in beside him. Lanie and Espo took their spots on the other side, facing Kate, while Rick remained standing and took their drink orders.

He quickly headed off to the bar and Espo begins to speak. "What's up with your partner, Beckett?"

Surprised by his question, Kate counters. "What are you talking about?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed how nervous he's been acting over the last couple of days. I see him sneaking glances at you when you're not looking." Javi replies with a serious look.

"Did you two have a fight?" Kevin inquires, genuinely concerned.

Kate ponders their questions and can honestly say that she hadn't noticed. Sometimes she would get so caught up in a case that everything else seemed to fade away. Beckett knew that both she and Rick were tired of having to hide how they truly felt for each other, but didn't want to end their professional relationship either.

Kate gives the two men a scowl that results in a chuckle from her best friend at the intimidated looks on their faces. "No, we did not have a fight. I think that maybe things are a bit strained between Rick and the new Captain."

"Tell us about it." Both men answer simultaneously, which causes the three women to giggle.

Rick returns to the table with the drinks for the women first and scurries back to the bar to grab the beers for the guys. Once everyone was served, he slid into the booth beside Kate, who gives him a quick peck on the cheek, thanking him. Of course, this brings about the appropriate amount of hoots from Kevin and Javi in response that Rick tries to shake off with a grin.

The conversation seemed to be focused on the two groups present. Lanie, Jenny, and Kate discussing some new musical act, while the men were talking about the Yankees. Overhearing the men, Beckett can't help but interject her opinion on their beloved baseball team. This causes Rick to smile and take her hand into his, giving it a gentle squeeze as he comments without thinking. "Brains, beauty, and baseball… the perfect partner. No wonder I love her."

Kate lets out a little gasp at his public profession of his love for her while Lanie looks at her with a Cheshire Cat grin. Both Kevin and Javi look a bit stunned at first, but both break into huge smiles of their own.

Rick calls out to the waitress and orders another round of drinks as he nervously fingers the box in his jacket pocket. After the drinks are served, he holds up his beer bottle and toasts the others there on their importance to him as their friends. They all clinked glasses and shared his toast as Rick slid out of the booth and dropped down to his knee.

Both Lanie and Jenny gasp, having a good idea what was happening while Kate, Kevin and Javier shared a puzzled look. "Kate, in the time we have worked together, I discovered what it truly meant to have a partner. But you have become so much more than that to me. I wasn't one to believe in things like soul mates, but that's what you are…"

Rick pauses for a moment, hoping to calm his nerves before continuing. "I believe in the synergy of us together, where one plus one equals something greater than two. I've seen what our life together would look like and it's beautiful... I love your son nearly as much as I love my daughter and I've seen how good our kids are together…. So much so that I'm willing to lose you as my work partner."

Rick pauses again for a moment as his hand fumbles in his jacket pocket, trying to extract the purple velvet covered box. "Katherine Houghton Beckett, will you make me the happiest man alive and agree to be my wife? My life partner?" Rodgers flips open the box to reveal a two carat diamond solitaire in a platinum band.

It took a gobsmacked Kate more than a second to two to process what was happening as all of her friends looked on in anticipation of her response. A million thoughts came crashing into her at that moment. Thoughts about how they would be able to remain partners in all things. She took one look at Rick who seemed to be shrinking with each passing second, realizing that she still owed him an answer.

She wiped the tears that were in the corners of both eyes with the heel of her hand and gives him a ethereal smile. "Yes, Richard Alexander Rodgers. Yes, I will be your wife. Your partner in life."

Rick's hands are shaking as he plucks the ring from the box and slips it onto the finger of her extended hand. A perfect fit. There's a roar of applause throughout the bar as Kate slips out of the booth and wraps her arms around her fiancé. They share a kiss as everyone in the bar cheers for the couple.

THE END (for now).

 _ **AN:**_ This was a good place to end things for now with the type of happy ending that seemed to elude the writers in season 8. I am either going to put together an epilogue or have some thoughts about a sequel.

Thanks to everyone who went along for the ride.


End file.
